Redemption
by KreadStornham
Summary: Izuku Midoriya never received One for All. He's been trying to find a place for himself, but it hasn't been going well. Maybe all he needs is a friend. Ochako "Uravity" Uraraka is a workaholic. She's got a dream to fulfill, after all. It's ironic that she could get caught in some random civilian's gravity. What's so special about Midoriya, anyway? Artist/Beta credit: LazyPinecone
1. Meetings I

_See end for author's notes/address of concerns_

* * *

" _Uravity, you're closest to that explosion! Head three blocks south by southwest!_ "

"Roger, Uravity responding!" Ochako took a deep breath as she turned in the direction her operator had directed her. The buildings in her way weren't huge. Her eyes settled on a building in the distance. She crouched, priming the springs in her boots and heels. Her stomach lightened as her quirk activated, and it lurched back towards the ground as she leapt onto the roof of the shop closest to her. Her recon spot was a tall building two blocks south of where she'd started. She reached the roof in a few minutes, though climbing the side of the building pushed her stomach's limits.

"Uravity reporting. I'm looking at a villain tearing up the reported location. One target. His quirk is throwing rubble around somehow."

" _Understood. We've got reinforcements on the way. Can you engage?_ "

"Yes. The police are stuck behind cover, though, so I'll be engaging alone."

" _Back up won't arrive for ten minutes at least._ _Good luck._ " Ochako bit her cheek in frustration. Too many incidents came up lately. Some days there weren't enough heroes for things like this. Without another new number one…

"I'm dropping in. Keep me posted. Uravity out!" Ochako threw herself off the side of the building.

* * *

Deku groaned as he leaned against a broken column. The villain was shooting pieces of rubble through buildings like sniper rounds, jeering and cursing at the police as they fired bullets blindly from behind cover. A fire had broken out across the street. He counted three, no, four cars totaled. Five buildings had structural damage. More than ten people had injuries. His eyes hesitated for too long on a large pile of rubble. Blood dripped down his leg from where he'd almost gotten caught beneath it.

It was pure luck that he glanced upward, away from the rubble, in time to see a pink-and-black missile plummet towards the street.

Deku knew who Uravity was. He knew every member of her class and had researched them all extensively. There was a lot of content on that particular class. Uravity was aspiring to be a rescue hero. Her quirk was incredibly useful for the job. But while she wasn't a 'Combat Hero', watching Uravity fight was something else.

The villain's reaction was slow. She landed between rubble rounds, and Deku couldn't help smiling as she kicked him backwards off his pile of rubble. Deku scrambled down the sidewalk to keep the fight in view. Uravity had her opponent on the ropes for a moment. In close combat Uravity held every advantage other than height and weight. But it didn't stop the villain from dragging a large, flat piece of a building into the fight right as she got close.

Deku cringed as the hero came flying past where he was hidden. The stone didn't fall on her, thank god. He only had to crawl over a shop's windowsill to reach her.

"Uravity-sama? Uravity-sama!"

* * *

Ochako groaned. Before she moved, she took a breath and mentally checked herself.

 _Visor's broken. Broken ribs? Probably… Concussion is definitely on the list._

Aizawa-sensei's tired voice came back and started rattling off advice for ambush tactics. She grinned as he scolded her for such a sloppy entrance.

"…sama!" She sat up and groaned. The shaking and whisper shouting was coming from a civilian, of all people. "You're alright?"

"Been better." Ochako muttered. The young man got glanced over his shoulder, probably looking out the window. "You should get to safety. This place…"

"I can help!" Ochako blinked. He wasn't anything special to look at. Honestly, the only things that stuck out were his doctor's mask and the All-Might hoodie. Even if he had a quirk…

"You aren't authorized for combat. Get out of here."

"That's not…" He glanced over his shoulder again. After a moment's hesitation he ripped off the mask and began talking.

"His quirk is accelerating stones. It only works in straight lines. It doesn't affect metal. How heavy the rock is affects how long it takes him to move it. Right now, I'd guess he can move ten pounds of rock with three seconds to focus. Anything lighter he can move without a delay. He almost always moves things up first, so that he doesn't hit anything other than his target. You'll have four seconds, maybe five, before he attacks. He's limited to stone in his field of view, and he can't move multiple pieces in more than one direction. The police outside are behind new, armored vehicles. They won't move, but they're safe for now. We've got around ten injuries, at least two casualties, and people are trapped in the unstable structures he's ripping ammo from."

Ochako wanted to say something. She wanted to yell, tell him she already knew all of that.

"If you're trying close combat, you need to move him. He has too much rubble out there. If you can get him here, you have a chance. There's nothing for him to use in here. But you'll have to be fast. I can only buy you thirty seconds before he'll get annoyed with me. Can you stop him?"

"Wait…"

"We don't have time!" The boy hissed. Ochako yelped as he pushed her backwards. She hadn't realized she was sitting in a pile of clothes until he shoved her off of them, behind an overturned shelf. Glass broke, and the villain's voice sounded from the other side of Ochako's hiding spot.

"Hey kid, where'd that bitch go?"

"Please don't kill me!" Ochako groaned and rolled her eyes. She'd been played. Usually, people weren't so out for themselves that they would openly sell out… "She's behind the counter!"

Ochako hissed as she rolled over and crouched on the floor. The shop had been left mostly undamaged by the struggle. Her civilian friend had pushed her into the shadows behind a large pile of merchandise. From where she stood, she could easily see the villain stomping towards the register. She winced as he pummeled the shop with ammo from outside, destroying the counter and most of the wall behind it. As he stomped toward the wreckage, she darted out and caught his arm.

* * *

Once Uravity had a hand on the villain, it was over. He was pinned, unconscious, cuffed and unmasked in less time than it took Deku to lay out the plan. Deku grinned as she sighed and turned to face him. The moment her glare turned to him, his smile vanished. She looked the same as every hero he'd ever "helped" before: angry, confused, and ready to school him on just how civilians were supposed to behave in a crisis. As she approached he pulled on the surgeon's mask and ran a hand through his tangled hair.

"Thanks for your help." Deku blinked. Had he not been wearing the mask, Uravity would have seen his jaw drop and hang open for several seconds. The glare had subsided, and she looked more tired than anything. "Do you have an analysis quirk, or some sort of scanning ability? I'll need help identifying where those injured people are."

"Um, I c-can direct you, if you'd like." He trailed off a bit at the end, but she nodded and looked out the window.

"That would be helpful. Back-up should be arriving soon, but I'd rather not waste any time." For a moment he hesitated. Uravity was probably injured, and she had to look after the villain. He sighed.

"I can find some of them and offer first aid. You should get the villain to the police." Uravity looked back, then nodded.

"That works out. Here, I've got some supplies."

* * *

Ochako was tired. It had taken four hours to recover all the people from the ruined buildings plus the people her 'assistant' had caught sight of in the battle. With his directions they were able to move surprisingly quickly, but the debrief was delayed by how many people there actually were. It wasn't until she was calling in to her agency that she noticed the boy from before being scolded by an officer.

"…Going to be arrested if you keep doing this!"

"I really just got caught up in it, Sansa-san!"

"Bullshit, Midoriya." The cat faced officer growled. "You're at more crime scenes and villain attacks than any hero, sidekick or police officer in the district. One of these days people are going to wonder why. Stay out of trouble, or else!"

"Hey!" Ochako stalked towards the officer, who seemed shocked. The boy jumped into the air as she moved to stand next to him. "I don't know what kind of problem you've got with him, but he was a big help during the fight. On top of giving me information on the villain's quirk, he directed us to almost all of the trapped citizens and a few of the injured. He sped up the process a lot."

"Uravity-san, please. While I understand that he was useful, his presence at these scenes is becoming problematic for the department. I was simply…"

"How is someone helping people during a crisis problematic for the department?" Ochako scowled. The officer's turmoil was plain on his face, then after a moment he turned and walked back towards the scene. Once he was gone she huffed a bit and turned to the green-haired boy. "He was really rude, don't you think?"

"I-I, uh…" Ochako giggled as he began stuttering.

"Sorry if I startled you or interrupted something important, Midoriya-san. I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help. Were you off duty today?"

"Huh?" Ochako met his wide-eyed stare with one of her own.

"You're a sidekick, right? Don't you have an analysis quirk or something like that?" Ochako regretted her words immediately. She'd never in her life seen anyone wilt as quickly as Midoriya did. His shoulders slumped, his hands shoved into his pockets, and twitched constantly, and his eyes fell towards the street.

"I'm, uh, well… q-quirkless, actually." Ochako didn't mean to gasp. The way he flinched made her regret it immediately.

"I'm sorry! I just thought, since you knew where all those people were, and you knew his quirk so well, I mean."

"It's fine!" Midoriya's hands waved between them wildly. "It's not a big deal! Really, I'm glad I could help out. And I got to see you fight in person! That was really neat, Uravity-san. I'm a big fan!"

"Eh?" Ochako yelped a bit as his eyes began to gleam. With his mask on, she couldn't help but feel a little crawling sensation in her spine.

"I follow hero news pretty closely." He broke off as he noticed her reaction and took a step backward. "Sorry, sorry! I'm not a stalker or anything, I promise! I just know who you are! You're rising through the ranks of sidekicks really fast, so everyone would know who you were if they watched the news right!"

She couldn't help but share in the awkward laughter coming from behind his mask. She wasn't really sure what to do with Midoriya. Or if she wanted to do anything with him at all. Her train of thought had stopped as soon as he said 'quirkless'. As she tried to find something to look at, other than that damned mask of his, she caught sight of the blood on his hands.

"Did you hurt yourself?" She caught his hand, ignoring his yelp as she pulled him over and inspected the wounds. His palms were cut and encrusted with blood and glass shards. When she pressed her thumbs to the wound he hissed and pulled back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I'm fine, really. The paramedics should worry about people with real injuries. I'll clean it once I'm home."

"I can treat it for you…" Ochako reached for his arm only to have him dart away, under the police tape.

"I should really… b-be getting b-back, Uravity-san! Thanks for everything!" Ochako watched as he walked quickly down the block. He wasn't heading for any train station she knew, though that didn't mean much. Part of her couldn't help worrying as he turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Ochako wasn't surprised to hear she had two days off after the event. Her agency took every chance they had to give her days off. At first, she'd fought them but after a while she'd just accepted it. Whenever she saw a doctor after a fight, they gave her two days off. Her boss said it was a compromise for all the extra hours she worked. Maybe she shouldn't have complained, but it did irk her a bit. Few people ever treated her like a combat hero, and she didn't exactly want to call up Bakugo just to get in a good spar. She groaned as the train stopped and she was forced into the crowd of people getting off at her stop. Even if she wasn't injured, that slab of rock had left her more sore than she'd care to admit.

Her destination was a popular, bustling café and bookstore. Usually, she wouldn't compromise on price, but…

"Ah, Ochako!" Momo stood up and waved as Ochako entered the top floor of the shop. Tsuyu sat across from the tall young woman, waving and waiting for Ochako to take her seat.

"Sorry I'm late, I overslept a bit." Ochako sighed as she sat and sipped from her tea.

"You should have taken the day to relax, Ochako." Tsuyu chirped. "I heard you took down another villain yesterday."

"It wasn't that big of a deal. Honestly, I only got hit once." Ochako huffed at her tea. Tsuyu was far too blunt for Ochako's ego sometimes.

"You work more than almost anyone in our class, Ochako." Momo smiled and set a gentle hand on her shoulder. "No one blames you for some rest after a big fight like that."

"Guys, I'm fine!" Ochako whined. "I had more trouble with a civilian than the villain. It wasn't anything to worry about!"

"A civilian?" Ochako grinned as Momo's face wrinkled in confusion.

"Yeah. A green-haired guy helped me out during the fight." She sipped at her drink and rolled her next words around on her tongue. "Then he ended up being quirkless. The police yelled at him and everything."

"A quirkless boy fought the villain for you?" Tsuyu croaked. Ochako's eyes widened.

"No! He just helped by distracting the guy, and then he helped us with the injured. But they got mad at him afterward. Honestly I'm not sure how I feel about it all."

"Meeting someone without a quirk is rare indeed." Momo muttered. "Who was angry with him?"

"A police officer. They didn't even bother pulling him aside, they just scolded him in the middle of the scene. It almost sounded like he was a nuisance or something." Ochako pushed her drink onto the table. She had a nervous habit of tapping her fingers when something worried her and setting the cup afloat wasn't a fun idea.

"I don't blame them. Any pro who caught a quirkless person helping at a crime scene would do the same." Tsuyu croaked. "Was he okay?"

"I doubt he was doing very well after such a series of events." Momo sighed. "Truly, we are blessed. It's difficult to remember that there are people like that in the world."

Ochako swallowed a bit of indignation as she listened to her friends' words. It wasn't as if she had any reason to be attached to the strange person from the day before. Thinking of him too much wouldn't do anything for either of them. Even if the way things ended may bother her, it was for the best if she moved on.

"Ochako?" Tsuyu croaked to her left. "You're staring off into space again."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry! Sorry. Just thinking. What were we talking about?"

* * *

Afterword:

This is a piece for an event called Green Tea Tag Team held in the IzuOcha discord! The art was done, as listed in the intro, by some beautiful human person (I only assume they're human) tagged LazyPinecone, who deserves lots of love!  
Some things about this story, just in case you've got some... misgivings.

1\. Yes, he refers to himself as Deku. We understand if you don't appreciate it, but bear with me please. I like to think it says something about who this Izuku is and what kind of life he's been leading. My apologies if it sounds like it just doesn't fit, in your humble opinion.

2\. There's a lot to this Izuku that doesn't come to the surface. It's touched upon, but I think several readers can relate to some of the things I've tried putting in to words. However, this is the story of Izuku and Ochako forming a new relationship. When we started, this was supposed to be a short piece, and it turned into... well, you'll see.

I honestly hope you guys like this piece. Please, try to make it through to the end if you found something you didn't like in this first part. Hopefully we'll draw you in somewhere down the rabbit hole.

yours truly,

-Kread


	2. In Between I

Buried in Kiyashi ward's shopping mall sat a small computer repair shop by the name of Okumura Electronics. While it wasn't anything special, it managed a small group of regulars who were always more than satisfied with the business. Most of the time, regulars dealt directly with the owner over a cup of tea. Any If you asked the owner 'who was the most important person working at Okumura Electronics', he'd tell you that his nephew was the most important. Despite his age, the young man did the repairs on all the electronics brought in, after all. He was a prodigy, even compared to Okumura Sr. Then he'd go and smile a coy little smile and glance toward the register, where a familiar figure stood slumped over the counter. When you asked why he looked at his cashier that way, he'd just shrug and say, 'Midoriya works the best'.

New customers were seen to by the cashier: a scruffy young man with green hair and dark green eyes. Nothing about the cashier really stood out. People remembered his weed-like hair more often than his face. If he was without customers, or out of chores to do around the shop, his eyes often turned lifeless.

Whenever a customer stepped inside, though, the cashier brightened more quickly than a flashlight. His eyes sparkled with life, and he always had some kind of joke ready. Every inch of the front shop was his domain. Every question met an answer, or a promise that he'd have one in a few minutes. Customers rarely left dissatisfied, and most of them left smiling. Once in a while he'd brew tea or coffee and offer it to anyone passing by, just to start up a conversation. Even if he stammered, tripped over his words and his feet, there wasn't a single customer who doubted how much he cared for them, and for the shop.

* * *

Deku fought tooth and nail, but nothing could stifle his yawn. Okumura was only open for another half hour, and the day had seen a lack of customers. It wasn't surprising, considering there had been a villain attack a few blocks away only yesterday. But it didn't help his habits to sit idle for so long. A nervous energy filled his hands as Okumura Sr. came striding behind the counter.

"Boss?"

"Midoriya-kun, are you all right?" Deku forced a smile for the old man's sake.

"Of course, Okumura-san. Just couldn't help myself."

"Yes, we were slow today. Must have been the attack. Ah well, don't be afraid to close up shop a little early today. I'll wager your mother would like to have you home early."

"I d-don't mind waiting, Okumura-sama. If that's alright t-too." His stammer caught both of them a little unawares. A fist gripped his shirt as he sighed and took a deep breath.

"…Are you sure, Midoriya-kun?"

"Yes sir!"

"All right. If you really don't mind then. Thank you for all your hard work today."

He never remembered what happened on the train.

Sometimes he could recall bits and pieces. A comment from someone, or an incident at the station. But places like that, where people swarmed him and bumped into him and _oozed_ … he took a deep breath as he began to climb the stairs toward home.

The apartment he shared with his mom was always the same: two rooms, a living room and kitchen, all built for three and comfortably serving two. Inko bustled throughout the place constantly (unless her romcoms were on TV) to keep it clean. She wouldn't let him do anything more than the smallest chores, even though they shared the costs.

"Welcome home, sweetie. How was work?" Deku sighed as she called out from the kitchen. He'd barely gotten one shoe off yet.

"Fine! Just, ugh, slow." He tripped taking off the other shoe.

"I guess I'm not surprised after yesterday."

Dinner was quiet. Inko had worked that day as well. The two of them chatted about their co-workers, about groceries and news. Some relative had called Inko, and they'd had a nice talk. He nodded along and told her how glad he was. When he went to bed the clock read one in the morning. Lying in bed, his brain felt somewhat numb. He thought back to dinner and tried to remember which relative had called his mother. No matter what he couldn't remember what they'd talked about.

Eventually he drifted off, but by the time he realized he was dreaming he'd already woken up again. It was strange to dream about such mundane things, and worse to have nightmares about them. When had sleep changed from "sleep" to "being trapped in your mind for eight hours"?

* * *

Ochako groaned when she got the text.

 _Class A party tonight! My apartment, 7pm_.

Mina was her friend. Ochako loved how bubbly she was, and how well she handled herself. But she threw a class party almost every month and insisted Ochako come over. The endless attempts at fixing her love life were exhausting.

She watched as people began responding to the group message. A few tried not to come, but they never succeeded. Part of her was surprised when Bakugo didn't fight back. Todoroki didn't respond, but Momo did it for him.

When she didn't reply, her phone exploded. Tsuyu, Momo, and Mina all texted her asking the same thing. Ochako groaned and told them she'd be there, though the winky face Mina sent made her feel vaguely sick.

Mina's parties were the stuff of legend back in high school. Nowadays they were tamer, with a bit of alcohol and lots of laughter. Ochako, for one, couldn't ever stay long. A few people were known for crashing on Mina's couch (or the floor) after getting drunk. Halfway through the night Ochako couldn't help counting the number of faces a feeling a bit sad.

Ochako arrived at six thirty with a case of beer and a nervous grin. Mina wrapped her in a hug as soon as she opened the door.

"'Chako-chan! You work too much, I haven't seen you in years!"

"Mina, you saw me two weeks ago!"

"Yeeeaaars!" They laughed as Mina dragged Ochako towards the kitchen. Kirishima, Kyouka and Sero greeted her, then went back to their conversation. Ochako took a seat and sighed as she relaxed. Mina took a seat on the table beside her. "You had work today, right? You feeling alright?"

"Yeah. Just a bit tired. Thins have been pretty hectic recently." Mina nodded. "Other than the fight last week, though, things haven't been so bad. Just minor arrests."

"I heard you had a pretty rough time with that guy." Ochako grinned. Mina's expression changed every time, showing off her emotions as plainly as a mood ring. Her crazy outfits only made it more amusing. Wide eyes and pursed lips meant worry, shock, and curiosity all in equal measure.

"Not really. Some random guy came and helped distract the villain, so it only lasted a few minutes. It turned out pretty strange, but I didn't have too much trouble."

"Good! I'm glad." The doorbell rang, and Mina darted across the room to answer. Ochako turned to the conversation on her other side.

By seven thirty, fifteen people had arrived, and the party was in full swing. Ochako was barely starting her first drink, though Kirishima and Sero had started early. Mina was complaining about Bakugo being late, AGAIN, and Kyouka was laughing at some story Kaminari started up. Shouji and Koda had struck up a conversation with Tokoyami in the kitchen, where the quiet trio might not be disturbed. Aoyama and Mina suddenly started a dance contest, much to Sato's glee.

Ochako wasn't sure when Bakugo showed up, or how they'd ended up using Aoyama as a disco ball AGAIN, but she enjoyed the show nonetheless. It wasn't until she was dragged into the kitchen by Mina and Momo that she remembered how much these get togethers annoyed her.

"I'm not dating anyone, Mina. I don't have time." Mina groaned. She'd had four or five, so she wasn't over the line yet. Momo wore a sympathetic look, but the redness in her cheeks was telling.

"You're always busy! At this rate you're going to end up…" Ochako's hand shot out and gripped Mina's mouth as kindly as she could.

"Minaaaaaa!"

"Sowwy" Mina rubbed her cheeks and pouted. "Sheesh. You're never interested in anyone. It's no fun."

"You talked about that quirkless boy from before. Did you think he was attractive?"

"What?" Ochako shrieked before she could think properly. After a moment to calm down, she turned to Momo and began whispering. "Why would you think that?"

"You never bring up men from work." Momo shrugged.

"Of course not! I'm still a sidekick, and I'm supporting my parents! I don't have time for boys! I just told you about him because he was quirkless and it was all weird!"

"So you didn't think about him after the incident?" Momo cocked her head to one side.

"No, of course not! I mean, it bugged me that they yelled at him, and sure maybe I thought he handled it well, despite the whole almost dying thing, but…"

" _You did think about him!_ " Mina hissed with glee. Ochako groaned and reached for another beer.

"Momo, you traitor!"

"Well, it's better hearing about you and some random guy than trying to set you up with Bakugo." Momo giggled.

Ochako wasn't sure how long the two of them interrogated her, or how much longer she stayed at the party. Near the end, she shared a toast with Tsuyu for the Iida family and left quietly.


	3. Meetings II

Deku sighed as he crossed the street. It was too hot out, and the hooded jacket he always wore didn't help. He waited at the crosswalk, fidgeting and edging away from anyone who got a bit too close. When the signal came for them to walk, he walked.

A shout came from down the street. Deku barely looked up in time to see an angry looking woman come running his way, carrying something. Next thing he knew, both of them were on the ground, and the woman was angry with _him_. The world blurred as she cursed him, lashed out and tried to rush down the sidewalk again. Deku grit his teeth as he latched onto her leg and yanked her backward. He took kicks to the face, even a strong swing to the ribs. It took all his strength to keep her legs trapped in his grip.

"You dumb little shit! Let me _go!_ " Another wave of dizziness washed over him, but momentary nausea wasn't enough to loosen his grip. Suddenly he was yanked backward, up off the sidewalk, and shoved to the ground. Judging from the grip, he was trapped in a standard law enforcement submission. The woman he'd been struggling with was being wrestled down by an all too familiar figure in pink and black.

"Don't resist!" Whoever was holding him was a man at least. Deku didn't need to get beaten up by two women in one day. Between the quirk induced(?) nausea and the memory of word vomiting in front of Uravity the last time, he was already feeling more green than usual.

"The police are on the way. Don't fight back!"

"Damn brat!"

"Quiet, lady!" Uravity turned and looked his way. For a moment, she glared at him. Deku waved with the hand facing her (his right arm really shouldn't be bent that far back), and vague recognition washed over her. "Midoriya-san?!"

* * *

Running into Midoriya wasn't exactly what she had planned. In fact, she'd nearly forgotten about him. He was too plain for his own good. She'd only remembered him when he waved in her direction and she noticed his green eyes tearing up a bit.

"Red Riot, let him up please…" She managed, fighting against her own captive. Kirishima gave her a glance, then looked down at the frail, docile boy in his arms. After a moment he let Midoriya go.

"Um, thank you." Midoriya groaned. He didn't get up, but Ochako didn't blame him. It looked like he'd been taking a beating before Kirishima had grabbed him. When Kirishima didn't offer to help him up, Ochako glared until the message was noticed. The red-head carefully helped the green-haired boy up off the sidewalk. Inwardly, Ochako wondered if she'd had that same wary curiosity look on her face when she first ran into Midoriya.

"Can you tell us what happened?"

Ochako wasn't the best at surveillance, or psychology, but it was hard to forget how awkward things had been with Midoriya the first time. It actually took some effort to focus on him. The way things were going, an air of wrongness filled the air around Midoriya.

As soon as Kirishima freed and helped him up, Midoriya looked around. Ochako recognized that look: he wasn't just _looking_ , he was drinking in everything on the scene. Midoriya hesitated on her, the captive, and Kirishima, then locked his eyes on the ground and leaned against the building.

"I don't know? Someone shouted something, and s-she came running down the sidewalk. I- maybe- she, uh, ran into me?" Ochako frowned. Midoriya sounded defeated and confused. She shook it off. She had no experience with him, but he'd just gotten attacked by heroes. Anyone would feel upset, or maybe angry. Midoriya didn't seem like the angry kind though.

"That little brat's lying! I didn't, urgh!" Ochako growled and pulled the woman's arms a bit more. It shut her up long enough for someone to push through the crowd.

"Ah, thank you, heroes! You caught her!" A store clerk with ram's horns exclaimed breathlessly. Ochako and Kirishima shared a look, then a glance at Midoriya. If Kirishima hadn't looked soon enough he wouldn't have had enough time to snatch the green haired young man before he entered the crowd and disappeared. The clerk stood and approached Ochako. "She was trying to buy something and just grabbed the money out of the register…! Anyone who chased after her started feeling sick. Must have been her quirk."

"It's not problem. But, we weren't the ones who…" A siren blared as she began talking. Everyone looked toward the curb as the police arrived and began moving people along. A street officer thanked 'Red Riot' and 'Uravity' before grabbing the woman Ochako had detained and escorting her to a cruiser. Ochako sighed as they began taking over the scene.

"Midoriya? What are you doing here?" Ochako blinked in surprised as one of the four officers began talking. Midoriya immediately tried shrinking back into the wall, but Kirishima kept a hand firmly on his shoulder. Ochako missed his response to the officer, though it didn't stop the officer from glaring at him. "You're going to have to speak up, Midoriya. What are you doing here? Why is Red Riot detaining you?"

"She ran into me." The officer frowned, then grabbed Midoriya by the arm. Ochako's ears grew hot when she saw Midoriya's entire body flinch.

"You did something stupid again, didn't you? What do we keep telling you? Stay out of the way kid!"

"Hey, let go of him!" Ochako grinned in triumph as Kirishima stepped in between the officer and Midoriya. "I don't get why you're yelling at a citizen who just helped catch a criminal, but that's not how we do things. Leave him alone."

The officer was a little older than them, maybe. Not by much though. Ochako stood beside Kirishima with arms crossed, daring him to say anything. To her surprise the officer glared at both of them.

"Midoriya was flunked out of the police academy. I don't think there's a cop in Musutafu who doesn't know this guy's sorry face." The officer's finger jerked towards Midoriya. Ochako was surprised to see real anger on the officer's face. "He gets hurt by this constantly, but he never learns! Don't defend him when you don't understand…"

"What I understand is that a citizen just stopped a robber from getting away and nearly got themselves injured." Ochako cut the officer off with a growl. The officer paled as she poked him in the chest. He was taller than her, but it didn't mean she couldn't break him in two if she wanted. "He acted heroically, and he should be treated that way. Are you saying that he should have just let them get away?"

The officer frowned angrily, knowing that any argument he had was useless. He glanced up over her shoulder and groaned.

"Damn it, he got away again!" Ochako whirled and saw an empty sidewalk. Kirishima ran towards the corner, cursing under his breath. "That kid is gonna get himself killed one of these days."

Ochako wanted to be angry with the officer, but his anger changed to genuine concern. After a moment, the officer shook his head and turned back towards the cruisers.

* * *

Deku wasn't sure why he ran. Red Riot was one of his favorites and Uravity was a friendly hero. They probably wouldn't be mean. But being yelled at in front of the heroes made him want to run. He had to leave, even if it was in the opposite direction of his home. Once he'd done a quick check, he realized he could probably get home in about an hour or so. There was a train station thirty minutes from him.

"Midoriya-san!" He ducked his head and froze as someone called his name. "Wait!"

Uravity and Red Riot were jogging towards him. He sighed, wondering if he'd ever had a chance of getting away in the first place.

"Why'd you ran, man?"

"Midoriya-san, are you okay?" He smiled as widely as he could, though they couldn't see more than his eyes.

"I'm fine! I just really didn't feel like staying… It's not like they need my statement. I want to go home."

"Midoriya-san, you need to go to the hospital and get checked out." Uravity pulled off her helmet and reached out to grab him. He flinched backward and regretted it immediately. Both heroes suddenly looked concerned.

"I'm fine, really! I didn't get beaten up that badly."

"What happened in the first place? You said she ran into you, but…" Red Riot looked at him with wide, red eyes. Deku couldn't look at either hero for too long without panicking, but the way Red Riot spoke rooted Deku's feet to the ground. "Someone mentioned you throwing yourself in front of that lady."

"I probably did." He said quietly. When Red Riot started to ask, he spoke up. "I probably did throw myself out there. I don't remember well. I get sick when I have to face things like that."

"But, Midoriya-san, you handled that villain just fine before!" Uravity looked so confused. Deku laughed.

"I begged him not to kill me, you mean." He took a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Whenever something bad happens, I can't help but get involved. I just…"

"I can't let people get hurt. If I can do something to help, or save someone, I get involved before I can stop myself." Neither of them said anything. He couldn't blame them. Everyone told him the same thing: a quirkless person shouldn't get involved. "The police aren't really mad at me. They're probably right. Bad things happen around me pretty often and I usually get involved somehow. They're just worried I'll get killed because I can't fight back."

"You just fought a robber pretty successfully." Red Riot snorted. "Just take some martial arts classes or something."

"Kir, eh, Red Riot, that's not…"

"Thanks!" Deku smiled. His cheeks hurt from how wide he smiled, but it was the only way to fight back the sick feeling in his stomach and the tears threatening to feel his eyes. Without meaning to, he was backing away. "I may consider that. It might get them off my back for a while at least. I've gotta get home if you don't mind. It's getting late."

"Wait!" Uravity caught him and shoved a little card into his hands. "This is the second time I'm letting you off without going to a hospital." Deku nearly squeaked at the fierceness in her eyes. Her words, however, didn't match the ferocity. "If you can't stop yourself from getting involved, then I'm not just going to turn a blind eye. My work cell is on the card. Use it if you're ever involved in something or if you need someone to help you out. I can refer you to a martial arts studio if you need one, too. Okay?"

"Ah, t-that's really nice of you. But…"

"Midoriya-san." Deku's eyes widened when Uravity smiled. Of all the heroes his age, she was by far one of the cutest, but that sweet smile was showing some pretty serious killing intent. "Just take the card."

"I… Yes ma'am." Red Riot sighed and gave him a little smile.

"Good! Get home safely, Midoriya-san."

"Take it easy man!" Deku waved as the two heroes headed off down the sidewalk, leaving him alone with a business card that might as well have weighed a thousand pounds.

* * *

"What was with giving that guy your card?" Ochako sighed as Kirishima popped the question. He'd been holding it in for four blocks, but she knew it was coming.

"He helped me out with that stone shooter villain last week. Something about it all just bugs me, I guess. Midoriya seems really selfless, but the police ignore it and yell at him."

"That cop said Midoriya flunked out of the academy. I'll bet they're all just worried about him. Wonder what's up with the surgical mask?"

"Kirishima, would you yell at Bakugo if he went and got himself captured fighting villains?" That stopped Kirishima in his tracks. After a moment of thought the red head grinned.

"Yeah. I guess I see where you're coming from. Bakugo could take it though. Midoriya folded like paper."

"Well, he told me he's quirkless."

"Quirkless? Is that really still a thing?" Kirishima perked up. Ochako nodded. Suddenly, a thought made her pause.

"I wonder… No, never mind. I doubt anyone would ever let that happen." Ochako grimaced. Kirishima looked at her but shrugged when she didn't elaborate. Soon they were chatting and patrolling as if it had never happened. The thought still nagged her a bit.

Could a quirkless person become a hero?

Probably not. Not since Kamino. Not since All Might's retirement.

Would Midoriya have tried, if someone had offered him that chance?


	4. A Step Forward I

Deku was good at hiding. He hid in plain sight most of the time. Lying wasn't something he enjoyed, but he knew how to lie. Or at least how to deflect. No one had ever thought he was dumb, except for Katsuki. Katsuki thought everyone was dumb.

The surgical mask was good for hiding. People thought he was weird, but it served a purpose. No one remembered his muttering when he wore the mask. They all thought he was just another germaphobe, or maybe he was recovering from some virus.

Lying, hiding, deflecting, all of those things were easy. His mom was the only one he couldn't lie to or hide from. Maybe he hid the little wounds from his encounters, the mental scars, the depression. Sometimes there was just no hiding. A bloody nose and cracked ribs weren't easy to hide. Inko always made him take off the mask in their home, though she didn't say anything when he wore it outside.

Being cared for never sat well with him. She may be his mother, but she had her own problems. A little pain in his chest, some swelling in his face, that was no trouble. Having his mom worry over him would only leave him feeling guilty. There was no stopping her though. As soon as he walked through the front door and sagged against the doorframe she was there, taking care of him again.

It took a few days before the pain was bad enough that he called the number on the card. It wasn't a good idea, but if he told his mother or went to the hospital himself, there was no avoiding the guilt. Maybe…

"Uravity speaking."

"Um, It's Midoriya. Did I call at a bad time?"

* * *

Ochako grinned when she heard the shaky voice coming through her phone. She'd been worried it would take more random chances before she actually got through to him.

"Nope! Is everything alright Midoriya-san?"

"I, well, this is…" Ochako's smile wilted a bit. She'd never been good at _waiting_ for others to come around or to get things out. Even back in high school she'd had trouble trying to find ways to open people up. But, if she was right, Midoriya wouldn't have called unless things were bad. Waiting made her anxious. She waited anyways.

 _I'm talking to a girl on the phone… Fuck!_ Deku felt his stomach churn in ways he'd never imagined possible. _Her voice is so close! How do people DO this?!_

"I, well, this is…" His stammer tied his tongue in knots. Inko wasn't out for work yet, since she'd been watching after him. Being nervous didn't help when he was trying to be quiet. After a few minutes of mentally chasing his own tail, he took a deep breath and shut his eyes. "I have a selfish request. If you don't mind hearing me out."

Ochako grinned. A passing intern glanced her direction and frowned before hastily turning and walking away. Ignoring the warmth in her cheeks (why was everyone so afraid of her smile…?) she turned and walked down the hall.

"That's why I gave you the card, Midoriya-san. What can I help with?" She chirped in her best 'hero' voice.

"Um, I can't really talk very well at home. C-can, c-c-could we…"

"You want to meet somewhere?" Silence came across the line, broken by rustling and static. Ochako mentally pictured him wringing his hands or scrambling about. He seemed like the type to get nervous over asking things like that.

"I-If y-you d-don't, w-wouldn't, uh, mind…"

"I've got some time now. Here, let me send you an address. I can be there in about an hour. Will that work?" Ochako sighed at the sound of static. A yelp and some muffled shouting came through. "Midoriya-san?"

"Yes! Um, yeah, that works! Thank you!" The line died abruptly. Ochako stared at her phone for a moment before heading back towards the briefing room. She had some explaining to do for cutting out of the meeting like that.

* * *

Deku's hands wouldn't stop shaking. Skipping out of the house after his mom left was nerve wracking. Taking the subway to meet a girl was absolutely unthinkable. Meeting a pro hero off the clock was beyond his wildest dreams. Asking a pro hero for a doctor's referral was mortifying. How he was supposed to do all of that at once was beyond him.

His third therapist had mentioned something once. The exact conversation eluded him, but it had been a long, strange session. Inko had been very concerned afterwards.

" _Midoriya-kun, when you threw yourself out to save that boy from before, what were you thinking?_ "

" _I wasn't thinking. I just, I just moved._ "

" _Why do you think you were able to act the way you did back then?_ "

" _What do you mean?_ "

" _We talked about the incident last time, didn't we? You said that you moved without thinking and couldn't stop running towards the villain. But when you were about to be attacked you were thinking clearly enough to throw your backpack._ "

" _I just got lucky. That first hit would, w-would have…_ "

" _Don't worry about that part Midoriya-kun. Think back to that moment when you were running and thinking about how to stop the villain. How did it feel?_ "

" _I didn't know what to think. It just came to me. B-but I'd been taking notes and that notebook was the one that was burned and..._ "

" _Midoriya-kun, you're getting distracted again._ "

" _S-sorry._ "

" _Midoriya-kun, I'm not sure how to help you. I think, from what you've told me, that you're suffering. Anxiety, depression, probably some PTSD from the villain's attack. Despite all these problems, you've never exhibited any sort of regret for your actions._ "

" _I don't understand. What does that have to do…"_

" _Midoriya, has any of those problems ever hindered your thinking? Have you had a panic attack that left you physically weak?_ "

" _Well no._ "

" _You mentioned that you're often looking for villain incidents. Are you ever afraid of them?"_

" _Of course I'm afraid, I mean they're villains._ "

" _Have you ever considered stopping?_ "

" _I don't know what you mean."_

" _Have you ever considered not looking for heroes and villains since the Sludge Villain incident?_ "

" _I'm in high school. I haven't been to that many since the incident,"_

 _"_ _Have you considered stopping your analysis of the attacks though?_ "

" _I, uh, not really?"_

" _Midoriya, there's no doubt you're suffering from several mental disorders. It's crippling you socially and making it hard to interact with people. That's nothing to be ashamed of. We can work on that. But… at the same time, it's not actually crippling you at all. I'd actually say that, unlike most people, you function better under pressure. These problems don't seem to affect you during dangerous incidents. Honestly, it's very worrying. If you're not afraid of the danger, then you'd have to be afraid of regular people instead of injury…"_

* * *

Ochako had never been worried that her boss would say no, but she heaved a sigh of relief when she left her agency. Helping Midoriya would, hopefully, be worth giving up the few precious hours of pay.

The shop she'd chosen was small and quiet. It was located in one of the less urban sections of the city, and despite the lack of business during the day it always seemed to be open. A coworker had suggested it to her the year before. Something about the way the shop felt made her think Midoriya would enjoy it.

How bad could it be?

One look at the shop made Deku want to run for the exits.

It was a nice place. The girl at the counter seemed bored but happy (Probably the weather and a decent week). Despite not having much business the place felt cozy, as if it had been open for a long time. Most of the tables only had chairs for two or four people, never too close to one another.

* * *

It was exactly the kind of shop that therapists recommended to patients.

Maybe, in hindsight, it made sense. Heroes went through all kinds of trauma. Nice places like this may be good. Or she was waiting to ambush him with a police officer for another 'make nice' session. Uravity wouldn't do that… would she? First impressions were never his strong suit. He found a seat and waited. Ten minutes shouldn't have felt like hours passing, but it would be rude if he was on his phone when she arrived.

He really wished he hadn't _yelped_ when she called out to him.

* * *

Nothing in school, or even in her two years of experience as a sidekick, prepared her for dealing with Midoriya. Maybe that should have been obvious. It took all her experience to keep what she imagined to be a kind, mid-sized smile on her face as she took her seat and waved off the waitress. She could tell that he was nervous even before she got close. He'd always seemed nervous though. Being somewhere new, meeting a pro hero of all things, probably didn't help. The moment they locked eyes she had to clench her jaw against the questions she wanted to ask. Ochako had enough experience to know that noses only looked that way if they'd been broken.

"Good afternoon Midoriya-kun. Hope you weren't waiting too long!"

"I, uh, n-no." He made a brief moment of eye contact before turning back to the table. "Thank you for coming to meet with me."

"Of course! I'm glad you called." She bit back _I was worried about you._ Not only was he basically a stranger, he was skittish as a cat. Part of her thought back to lectures on abused children but… Oh. That wasn't a kind thought. Her smile became a little more forced. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Well, I, uh." Midoriya glanced around the shop. Ochako didn't have to follow his eyes to see where he was looking. She'd seen victims doing threat assessment before. It was easier to see now that she wasn't buzzing from villain action. "Things back home are tight, no that sounds bad. We're fine. I can pay, but. It's uncomfortable. I…"

"Midoriya-kun?" Ochako felt a little sick. His words sounded almost exactly like…

"I think I cracked my ribs against that villain, and…" He reached towards his face and flinched away. "My mom is worried about me, and she's got enough on her plate…" He spoke quickly, and now that he wasn't wearing the mask she could at least understand what he was saying. "I need to go back to work, but she won't let me till I'm healed. B-but we, um, can't afford a hospital right now."

Ochako blinked.

He was upset over worrying his mother? He needed to go back to work? He'd _cracked his ribs_?

"But, it's been three days! Midoriya-kun, how'd you even get here?!" He flinched as she raised her voice, and she apologized quickly.

"I-I know basic first aid. And my mom helped with the bandages. We can afford that much." Midoriya took a shaky breath. After a moment of hesitation, one hand dug through his curls and pushed the hair out of his face. When he spoke again, he may as well have been a totally different person.

"This is a selfish request. I need someone with a healing quirk. Someone who can help me get better quickly. I'll pay whatever extra cost it will take, even if it may take me some time."

Ochako had to remember how to breathe. Suddenly it was very hard to meet Midoriya's eyes without feeling her throat tighten up. Without the dark green curls to hide behind, his eyes flashed all different shades of green. For a moment, the light caught them and Ochako was sure she saw a spark, like green lightning flowing through him. In her five years of experience with hero work, Ochako had felt a similar feeling only twice or three times before. Despite his plain looks, the conviction in his eyes was tangible. Looks like that froze villains in their tracks and left people unable to think straight.

"…I can put in a good word for you, but it could be expensive Midoriya-kun." Ochako hated the way her voice shook. Maybe he wouldn't judge her for it, but the memories made her feel weak.

"If they say no, I'll let it heal naturally. I won't do anything to hurt your reputation, Uravity-san." Ochako bit her lip as Midoriya bowed as much as he could across the table.

"P-please, don't do that here…!" He rose, though he did so slowly. Ochako fought the urge to fan her face (why was she blushing? How did he make her blush?!) and glanced around. Luckily no one was eyeing them.

* * *

"P-please don't do that here…!" Deku winced as he rose back up in his chair. Uravity was busy looking around, lucky for him. He got the feeling that she'd have chewed him out if she'd seen him hurt. Despite the warm confidence boiling under his skin and the clarity of his mind his cheeks flushed.

 _She came out of uniform for a reason, you moron! Outing her like that could have serious issues for her in public. Be more careful!_

"S-sorry. I didn't think before I said that." He sighed. "I doubt you want anyone here knowing your hero name…"

"Ah, I'm not worried about that. It was… never mind! Um, anyways, on that note… My name is Uraraka. Uraraka Ochako." Deku blinked as she began settling down.

"Eh?"

"My name. It's not Uravity… obviously… Um, my name is Uraraka Ochako." She looked up and managed a weak smile. Unlike the mask she'd worn for the first half of their talk, this one seemed genuine. It made some of the tension in his shoulders relax. "Y-you're Midoriya-kun, right?"

"I… Oh! Uh, eh, ye-yes! I'm Midoriya! M-Midoriya Deku!" He froze the moment the words left his mouth, but there was no going back now that he'd said it.

"Midoriya Deku?" She cocked her head to one side.

 _Shit._

"Um… It's…" His fingers ran across his face, looking for the mask. Why had he left it at home? She would hear him muttering if he started now. Before he could stop himself, he began chewing at the insides of his lips and digging through his hair with both hands.

"Midoriya-kun…? Midoriya!"

"Y-yes…?"

"Do you not like your first name, Midoriya?" Her voice came across the table quietly.

"T-that's… not my name…" His words came out high pitched. It took a concentrated effort to move his hands to the table and grip the side. The edges of the table dug into his palms, but his grip gave him a moment to breathe. "Deku, I mean. That's just what people call me. My name is Izuku. Midoriya Izuku."

* * *

"T-that's… not my name… Deku, I mean. That's just what people call me. My name is Izuku. Midoriya Izuku."

Ochako frowned and thought about it. After a moment it leapt out at her, and she felt a bit of a sour taste in her mouth. He looked ready to crawl into a garbage can, or worse. Was his reaction just a moment ago a panic attack…?

"S-sorry." She wanted to ask about it. The question was chewing its way through her lips, but there were plenty of questions she had about Midoriya that she needed to ask him. With his confidence gone and the squirming, nervous boy returning, she doubted she'd get her answers. "I didn't realize what it meant. It sounded nice, at first."

"D-don't worry about it… It was my fault. It's an old habit." The silence drew out and her questions burned more fiercely than before.

"Um… I can introduce you to a nurse with a healing quirk." Midoriya looked up a little bit. He'd receded into himself again, but the way he froze was noticeable. "If she has time, I mean. They're always busy, and it could be difficult, but I'll call them."

"…Thank you…" Ochako bit her lip. Something about the way he whispered those words made her heart clench again. If he was crying when she stepped away and pulled out her phone, she'd never tell a soul.

* * *

"Um… Urav… Uraraka-san…"

"Midoriya-kun? What's wrong?"

"Well, um. This p-place…" Uraraka looked at him with wide eyes, then looked back at the entrance gate.

"What about it?"

"We… Why are you bringing me to U.A.?!"

"Well, this was the only place that I could think of. It's summer so Chiyo ōba-chan isn't swamped with work right now."

"B-b-b…"

"Is something the matter?"

Any other day, Deku might have had a panic attack. He was about to be invited into _U.A._ …! His mouth opened and closed as he stared at the gate.

"Eh… Midoriya-kun…"

"S-sorry… I'm… S-sorry for the intrusion…" Uraraka led him through the campus, which was thankfully empty of heroes. He wasn't sure what would happen if he saw a real pro hero wandering about so casually. In fact, he was so worried about avoiding the heroes he didn't notice where they were going until too late.

"Hello, Chiyo ōba-chan? It's Uraraka!"

"Hello dearie. Bring him in."

* * *

Watching Deku have a panic attack at the front gate had been worrying. Now she understood why he'd been worried. The moment he saw Chiyo ōba-chan, he broke down into a stuttering, blushing, nervous wreck. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't laughed a little bit behind his back. Midoriya was definitely more of a hero fanboy than he led on.

"Alright alright, let's take a look at you. Ochako-chan mentioned that you had some cracked ribs? And that nose needs a look too."

"Eh…?" Midoriya paled as Chiyo bossed him towards the curtained off part of the room. Ochako grinned and took a seat on the stool.

"No worries, Midoriya-kun. I'll wait over here." Chiyo smiled fondly and patted Ochako's knee as she passed by. It had been a month or two since Ochako had spent some time helping out her old school nurse but seeing Chiyo again made her smile without even thinking. Poor Deku looked like he was going to overheat.

 _Deku… It doesn't sound so bad after all._ Ochako hummed to herself.

* * *

Deku hated taking his shirt off. He kept a shirt on as much as humanly possible to avoid the sight. Undressing (even just his shirt) in front of _Recovery Girl_ , the famous nurse-slash-hero, made him even more nervous. Instead of making a comment she simply watched as his visibly shaking fingers unzipped his sweatshirt and pulled his shirt over his head. Recovery Girl didn't say anything when he sat down. A long minute dragged out before he began to try forcing back the panic attack because he was at U.A. and having a panic attack here wouldn't be good, Uraraka was right over there…

"You mutter often, young man?" He dug through his hair, forcing it down in front of his eyes.

"Y-yes…"

"I see." Her voice was quiet. He was grateful for that. "I won't ask questions, though… I can't deny how curious I am."

Deku stiffened as she approached and placed a hand on his chest.

"Take a deep breath, Midoriya-san. I'll make this quick."

* * *

Ochako sighed.

They'd been behind the curtain for ten minutes, which was… unsettling. Deku should have only needed a few minutes to confirm his condition and get a kiss. What if he was hurt more badly than they expected? No, Chiyo ōba-chan wouldn't need long for anything less than serious. Suddenly Chiyo appeared from behind the curtain. Ochako stood up, because instead of smiling or looking happy at all she looked tired.

"Sit down dearie. The boy is fine. He's just taking a little nap."

"Ah. Um, Chiyo ōba-chan, you seem… Tired." The old lady hopped up into her chair and sighed.

"Where did you find that boy, Ochako-chan?"

"Um… We ran into one another a few weeks ago…" Ochako told Chiyo everything she could remember about him. To her surprise the old lady listened the entire time. When she was finished the old lady just nodded. "I don't see how it's important how we met, though. Is Midoriya-kun all right?"

"Well…I probably shouldn't show you, but I think someone needs to see it after all." Chiyo groaned as she hopped back off the chair. "Honestly, I want to put the boy in therapy, but I doubt I could get a straight answer out of him…"

Ochako's eyes widened as they moved past the curtain.

Deku was laid out on the bed, sleeping off the exhaustion from Chiyo's quirk healing. She had never seen him without baggy, oversized clothing. He wasn't the scrawny, gangly boy she'd thought he was underneath it all. But the muscles he did have only made his history more obvious.

Scars covered his torso. It wasn't just one or two large ones, but countless tiny white lines crisscrossing one another. The entire underside of his right arm was covered in scar tissue, and now that she looked his right hand was mangled worse than just the pair of scars on either side. A few larger scars made her flinch when she noticed them: a large slash-like scar of pink skin sat on his left breast, from the shoulder towards his stomach, while his right side bore a patch of skin that looked an awful lot like a burn…

"I was shocked as well, Ochako-chan. Your friend will be fine, for the most part. But he's seen his fair share of suffering."

"Oh… God…" Ochako could barely whisper.

"You said he's been in trouble with the police before, didn't you? I suggest you look into that a bit more, Ochako-chan."

"Chiyo ōba-chan… I can't." She shook her head and turned to face Chiyo. "He's barely trusted me to bring him here. If I do that he may not ever trust me again."

"Is that important, dearie? You got him here. You've helped him as much as you needed to. More than that. Honestly, the boy does seem to be somewhat able to take care of himself…" Ochako glanced over at Midoriya and took a deep breath.

"I can't really explain it. But I want to help him. Every time I run into him he does something incredible… and I won't deny that I'm worried about him. Now more than ever." She sighed. "Chiyo ōba-chan, do you remember how things were after Kamino?"

"You mean with Yagi-kun?" Ochako nodded. Chiyo huffed. "Of course. I was more involved than you little first years."

Ochako smiled. The memories of those days were fraught with terror and pain. Her class was a target, Stain had ended the Iida brothers' careers, Bakugo and Tokoyami were kidnapped… After all that, Kamino had happened.

"We spent months pretending like All Might wasn't fragile and that he was still the symbol of peace. It was such a strange thing to have to deal with. Yagi-sensei still hadn't gotten used to being Yagi-sensei instead of All Might, and he tried to be involved in everything…"

"I don't understand what you're getting at, Ochako-chan." Ochako smiled.

"They're kinda the same. Yagi-sensei and Midoriya-kun, I mean. With Yagi-sensei, we weren't sure what to do with him, since he had been the strongest person around. Midoriya-kun isn't the strongest, so everyone acts like he needs to be protected, but… I think he manages to surprise everyone with how strong he is. Every time I see him he's fighting just because it's the right thing to do. Yagi-sensei talked about that sometimes." She thought back to the café, when Midoriya had frozen the air in her lungs with just a look. His eyes had glowed just like All Might's eyes glowed when he got serious.

Chiyo laughed after a moment. Her eyes settled on Midoriya and a small smile formed on her face.

"Yes… that sounds like Toshinori-kun." Ochako giggled at the old woman's fond expression.

"Even if I forgot about him it wouldn't stop him from getting involved in some attack somewhere. Midoriya-kun seems to attract trouble just like my old class did. So, I think I'll be his friend and see if I can help him."

"Well, well… I must say, Ochako-chan, I'm surprised." Chiyo's smile grew wide. "You're never this invested in a young man's well-being."

"Eh…?" Her face grew red as she realized what Chiyo was implying, and before she could insist that it wasn't _that_ , Chiyo was heading back towards her desk.

* * *

"I'm really sorry Uraraka-san,"

"Midoriya-kun, it's fine. I don't blame you."

"B-but I took so much of your time today…"

"I'm glad I was able to help, Midoriya-kun."

"Y-you're… You're too nice Uraraka-san."

"Hey, before you go Midoriya-kun, can I ask you a favor?"

"O-of course! Anything at all!"

"Do you mind if I call you Deku-kun? I like how it sounds. Kinda like 'don't give up!', y'know…? Eh, Midoriya-kun?"

"S-sorry… I got worried… I, um… I don't mind… It may take me some getting used to though…"

"Of course. And don't stop giving it your all, okay?"

"Uraraka-san…?"

"Promise me!"

"…Okay. I'll do my best…"

"You can do it, Deku-kun!"


	5. In Between II

The break room was one of Ochako's favorite places in her agency. It reminded her of her high school classes. Once upon a time she'd imagined heroes were all more or less like All Might: unstoppable paragons who always did the right thing. She preferred the wacky, hilarious ways that all her unique coworkers interacted to the stiff atmosphere of the boardroom. Lots of hours could be spent in Ochako's little corner watching as the heroes and sidekicks blew off steam.

It was mildly annoying when someone called her on break.

"Uraraka speaking, who…"

" _WHAT'S HIS NAME? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!_ " Ochako had to pull the phone from her ear and wince.

"What are you talking about Mina?!"

" _How dare you get yourself a boyfriend and not tell me_!" Ochako blushed, made sure no one was anywhere close and immediately hissed in response.

" _I don't have a boyfriend! Who told you that_?"

"I heard you've been meeting with some civilian! You introduced him to Chiyo ōba-chan…!" Mina squealed.

"It's not like that…! How'd you even… Ugh! I can't talk about this right now!" Ochako knew she was blushing. A few people were noticing, but none approached. She spun in her chair and took a deep breath. "I'm on my break, can we talk about this some other time…?"

"How about Kaminari's place after work?" Mina's voice calmed once Ochako had offered to meet. That was almost always how it went. Ochako groaned.

"Does it have to be…?"

"Kyouka's interested too you know. See you tonight…!" The line went dead before Ochako could reply.

Deku was _not_ her boyfriend. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend! He was barely even a functioning civilian. Maybe they'd been talking more, and she'd mentioned it to Momo and Tsuyu. One of them must have let it slip to Mina. For how often they tried setting her up on dates, they must have misread the situation.

Ochako righted her chair, took a bite of her lunch and considered the past week. Once she'd gotten his permission to call him Deku, they'd messaged each other once a day or so. It was surprising given how tentative he was. What started with a simple recommendation for her hero costume turned into a daily check-in. Now they had funny conversations about news or about heroes. Deku was constantly changing the way she saw things.

Part of her was glad he was coming out of his shell, but she was worried too. Reaching out to a victim and becoming a part of their life was expressly forbidden for most heroes. Unless there were special circumstances heroes were supposed to leave civilians to the professionals. A voice in the back of her mind kept worrying about the more… obsessive part of Deku's personality. His research on heroes was incredible, but also a little unsettling. It wouldn't be hard for him to turn from friend to…

Ochako shook her head. Deku wasn't like that. He was gentleman. Besides, she grinned a little bit, he'd have a meltdown if she got too close. Stalking was way out of his league.

* * *

Deku sighed. The hero news was all boring, and even his stock of forums was depleted. Working the register at Okumura's was a great job, but the boredom drove him out of his mind some days. His eyebrows rose as he saw the dots appearing under Uraraka's message window, but when it disappeared he shrugged and closed the app. She was at work and far too busy to bother with the likes of him.

He wasn't really sure what to think of Uravity. It was easy to think of her as a possible friend. She'd helped him heal, free of charge. Messaging her usually ending up making him laugh, and he hoped that it was the same for her. Maybe he wasn't used to small talk, but she made it feel painless.

At night it was a little more difficult. Things got twisted after so many hours of staring. Lately his nightmares weren't just about getting unlucky during an attack, but about Uravity getting hurt or Uravity turning on him. Somehow those were more difficult to deal with.

Deku sighed and stood up to wander the shop. Sitting down only made it easy to overthink things. He dusted the shelves and looked over the merchandise. Brewing coffee took up a good chunk out of the hour. As he sipped his drink and watched people passing by, a customer drifted towards the store.

"Okumura's? How have I never been by here?" A large part of Deku's brain began short circuiting when he heard them. The customer in question was noticeable, even amongst the crowd. He wore a 'deep-dope' shirt that was obviously well loved, though it was the only memorable thing about his dress. What really drew Deku's eye was his hair: naturally spiky blond hair with a black lightning bolt through the side. Somehow Deku was able to fight back the fanboy instinct and smiled nervously.

"Eh, I d-don't really b-blame you. We're a s-small s-s-shop. Are you interested in electronics?" Chargebolt grinned, showing off a casually amused grin. Deku almost squealed.

"You could say that. I've got an electric quirk, so I've learned a thing or two. How's business?" Deku grinned and lifted his coffee cup.

"I just b-brewed some coffee to pass the time. C-can I offer you a cup?" Chargebolt glanced around and shrugged.

"Sure. I'll take one. Things have been pretty calm lately." Deku nodded and headed inside, followed by the grinning hero. Once Chargebolt took the mug he wandered the aisles. "You guys have a good selection… it's hard to find some of these components in a real shop."

"O-O-Okumura-sama is very dedicated to his customers. M-most of them b-build m-m-machines for… for fun, so…"

"You don't say? He does repairs too right?"

"W-w-well his n-nephew manages that… is there anything you've been thinking about f-f-fixing…recently…?" Deku smiled. His nervousness was breaking through, and he was desperate to ask questions. But Okumura didn't pay him for things like that. Chargebolt or not, he had to deliver the best experience. Uravity would laugh about it later, probably. Maybe she could answer some of his questions.

"Are you okay? You seem kinda nervous."

"I-I'm f-fine! I-I h-have a natural s-s-stammer… Mostly, Okumura-sama k-keeps me around to b-brew coffee…" He laughed. Chargebolt frowned for a moment, then grinned and took a sip.

"It is pretty good coffee! I'm Kaminari, by the way."

"M-Midoriya." He hesitated, then took a deep breath and smiled wide as he could. "People c-call me Deku!"

"Deku? Heh, alright. That's an odd nickname." Chargebolt glanced around the last corner and drifted back towards the counter.

"It's old, b-but… It's not so bad." Chargebolt set the cup down and extended a hand.

"Long as you like it! My old classmates did things like that for me back in the day. Some of it still sticks."

Deku was about to reply when Okumura senior came out of the back, leaning on his cane and smiling.

"Ah, Midoriya-kun, did you draw in another customer for me?" Deku sighed.

"Kaminari-san, t-th… this is Okumura-sama. He owns the s-shop. Kaminari-san has an electric quirk." Okumura smiled.

"My my, you're a very lucky young man. Welcome to my humble shop. Maybe you'd like another cup of coffee? I wouldn't mind hearing a bit from a young man like yourself. You seem like you've got some stories you could tell."

Deku smiled easily as Chargebolt relaxed and took Okumura up on his offer. Out of all the jobs he'd ever had, Okumura's was the best. It payed decently, but there was something about the way Okumura talked to his guests that made them relax. He knew just how to get people talking, how to make them laugh and enjoy the feel of his shop. Back when he'd first started Deku had spent hours chatting with his boss, gradually warming under the old man's influence. After a few months of work, he'd decided he didn't really want to work anywhere else. It was easy to put in as much effort as possible for a gentleman like Okumura Sr.

Deku and Okumura saw Chargebolt off around an hour later, after giving him a business card and a promise to help with whatever he may need.

"You've gotten better at hiding that bright eyed little boy who always asks questions." Okumura commented offhand. Deku yelped as he slipped off his stool and fell to the ground. They shared a bit of a laugh as he righted himself. To the right side of the register was an alcove that Deku had turned into a cozy seating area. Okumura's armchair sat in the corner, beside a coffee table and a pair of well used old chairs. From his seat, he could easily talk to Deku behind the register.

"Not good enough to hide it entirely though."

"Well, I've no complaints. You work very hard, Midoriya-kun."

"Thank you, Okumura-sama."

"Midoriya-kun, may I ask you something?" Deku smiled, though he knew what was coming. Okumura had been out of the shop for the past two days, and they hadn't talked since he'd returned. His mother had called Okumura directly back before he was well, which meant…

"You'd like t-to ask about my injury, right?" Okumura chuckled.

"Actually, I was going to say you've been much brighter recently. Especially since you came back from your injury. You know I love stories, Midoriya-kun. Would you mind telling me about your friend?"

Deku smiled.

"Well, I'm not sure if I can say they're my friend yet… but something pretty crazy happened last week!"

* * *

Everyone had been surprised when Kaminari told them he was part owner of a club. The situation was complicated: sometimes the place handled sketchy business and Denki was forced to toe the line. Keeping his name out of the press was tough, from what he told them. But having heroes frequent the establishment for a few special occasions ended up bringing the club a huge profit. The only drawback was that, since Denki usually brought his old classmates around to party, several rumors about their friends were circulating the underworld and overworld both. Ochako had to insist that she was _not_ involved with some of the more… spectacular incidents.

It was nice having a go-to spot where they were safe though. Most of the press new them by name as members of 'that class'. Kaminari made sure that the press was always off the record, and the police avoided the place unless it was absolutely necessary. People were meant to cut loose and have fun.

Ochako had barely ordered her drink when Kirishima and Mina called her over to the VIP area. Despite knowing she was about to be interrogated, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. Mina's bubbliness was contagious, as always. Maybe this time she could cut loose without remembering.

The club's VIP areas were circular couch areas on the outskirts of the dance floor, elevated for a good view of the stage and to keep people from falling into them. Glass walls rose on either side to keep conversations private, though with the size of the couches and the amount of room in each spot, there was hardly anyway to eavesdrop on anything.

"Kirishima was just telling us about your _new friend_." Mina giggled as Ochako took her seat and huffed.

"He's not my boyfriend or anything, I promise." Kirishima grinned in her direction.

"Yo, Uraraka! How's Midoriya?" Ochako smiled, though it was a little painful given the implications.

"Eh… he's okay. Chiyo ōba-chan fixed him up and he went back to work. Chiyo ōba-chan even insisted on doing it free once she heard the story."

"Sounds like her," Kirishima took a long pull from his beer. "I'm glad he's all right. That incident was kinda messed up."

"So Kirishima met him, you introduced him to Chiyo ōba-chan, and you've got his number?" Kyouka smirked. "You can't blame Mina for getting onto you. I don't think you've done that much for any guy."

"I just wanted to help him out!" Ochako cried. She drank from her drink till she needed to breathe, scowling in the direction of her friends. "I don't have time for anything like that anyways!"

"You're just work obsessed." Mina groaned. "Cut loose! Have some fun!"

"I do, thanks! They make me take days off nowadays…" Ochako rolled her eyes.

"Mina, leave her alone. We all know why she's working so hard." Kyouka's smile turned soft. Ochako loved Kyouka's smile, since it was something only her close friends got to enjoy in such close quarters. "I wanted to bug you a bit, but you know we all love you. Mina is just a gossip hound."

"Thanks, Kyouka."

"Is everyone here?" Momo stepped into the booth, followed by Tokoyami. Ochako waved to Tokoyami as Momo took the seat beside her.

"We're waiting on a few people. Mina was just interrogating Ochako…"

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late." Everyone piped up with hellos and calls as Kaminari vaulted over the couches and into the booth. Ochako laughed as Momo and Kyouka scolded him.

Kaminari had shed his awkwardness and dorkiness earlier than anyone. He didn't ooze maturity or quiet steadiness, like Momo and Todoroki. Amongst the various classmates they had, he was like a warm summer's breeze: smooth, relaxed, and fresh. There wasn't a trace of his awkwardness, or the dork they'd gotten used to back then. Quietly Ochako was glad he'd lost the little sleaziness that Mineta had begun cultivating at one point.

"I got caught up on my day off. There's this neat little electronics store in Kiyashi that I found! The owner was super nice."

Ochako sighed and finished her drink. For a little while at least, she would relax. Laughter filled their booth, and soon they were all on cloud nine.

When the night was over, Ochako wouldn't remember much. By the time she was at work the next day she'd forgotten all about the night before.


	6. A Step Forward II

Deku's wardrobe was very precisely made. Ever since high school, he'd favored more baggy clothing, hooded jackets and long pants. He ditched all the hero clothing and the bright colors from his closet, instead favoring darker greens, browns, blacks and greys. Some of his All Might merchandise left too, though he kept a lot of it in boxes. Inko had asked him about it, and his therapists had commented once or twice. They all got the same response.

He didn't want to stick out.

Working out was a habit he'd picked up halfway through high school too. It wasn't often anymore, since there was no goal behind it. He kept it to once or twice a month. Mentioning it offhand to Uraraka-san over lunch wasn't supposed to make her even bat an eye.

"You work out Deku-kun?"

* * *

"Well, I m-mean… A little bit…" Ochako's eyes flashed brightly. Deku felt a sinking feeling in his gut when her smile widened.

"They worked us really hard back in high school, and then my internships made it even more difficult. Martial arts are really about how much work you put in. What kind of work outs do you use?"

"Eh, w-well, I usually just use my body weight and I do some running… But I've never been good at fighting…"

"Could I join you sometime? If you'd like, I can show you some things, or even introduce you to a martial arts teacher if you'd like!" Deku blushed. He couldn't really help it, faced with her innocent expression. They'd definitely become friends, but…

"I p-prefer going m-my… alone, I mean." For a moment, something flashed across Uraraka's face. He flinched and stared into his drink. "Um, I doubt I could keep up with you anyways. You're much stronger than I am."

He drank some of his tea, then forced a smile as he remembered something.

"Ah, I've got some news! Not much, but… well, it was neat for me. A friend of yours came into the shop a few days ago…!"

* * *

Ochako wanted to kick herself when she saw Deku flinch. He'd seen her face, probably felt guilty or embarrassed or something like that. There was no way he could know that she'd seen his scars. She really, really wanted to believe that. But Deku had a way of surprising her. A warm feeling blossomed in her cheeks when she saw him force a smile and brighten up a moment later.

"Ah, I've got some news! Not much, but… well, it was neat for me. A friend of yours came into the shop a few days ago…!" Ochako blinked.

"Really? Oh yeah, you mentioned you've got a job as a cashier somewhere…"

"Mmhmm!" Deku's eyes glowed for a moment. She wasn't sure how they did that: tricks of the light maybe, but it seemed like there were too many shades of green in his eyes. "Chargebolt, eh, I m-mean Kaminari-san came by the shop. He wasn't in his hero costume, but I got to talk to him!"

"Really?!" Ochako gasped. Deku was always talking about hero news. He'd admitted once that, since middle school, he avoided actually talking to them unless he had to. "What happened?"

"He was r-really nice…! Um, it was mostly just chat. My boss, Okumura-sama, he actually hit things off with Kaminari-san." Deku _beamed_. "I got to make him a cup of coffee though! And he liked it!"

The warmth in Ochako's cheeks suddenly burned all the way to her ears. Deku's smile reminded her of the sparks she'd seen a week ago, before taking him to Chiyo. Part of her _heard_ what he said, but it didn't really get through to her. His smile was bright and warm, as if someone had poured sunshine in her coffee and draped one of Momo's blankets over her shoulders.

"Eh, coffee?"

"Well, I'm the cashier but when its slow I brew tea or coffee sometimes. Chargebolt came in just then and he said it was good." Deku chuckled and ran hand through his hair. "I almost lost my nerve! Having him in the shop made me stutter like crazy. He noticed that too, though he was really nice about everything."

Ochako smiled. He said things like that so easily. As if making coffee for a fledgling hero was the best thing in his whole life, or just getting to talk to a sidekick made it worth living. She barely would have noticed if she weren't paying attention to things like that. If she wasn't worrying over things like that.

"I'll let him know you enjoyed that. Kaminari-kun is really a great person. I think he mentioned your work, but I don't remember that well."

"You don't have to…" Deku's smile was a little shaky, now, and he was rubbing the back of his neck. Ochako grinned, knowing he'd love it but knowing he would be embarrassed. "I just thought you'd like the story."

"Maybe I can come by the store! Where is it?" Watching Deku light up like a Christmas tree would never get old, she realized. It wasn't very often that she got reactions like that: where his shoulders rose, where he leaned towards her instead of away, where his eyes gleamed and he smiled an honest-to-goodness smile. Hero talk did it occasionally, if she was careful. Apparently, his work (or more appropriately his boss Okumura-sama) was one of them. She listened and grinned as he told her about his work.

There weren't many people who made her smile till it hurt, but Midoriya Izuku had quickly become one of them.

* * *

If it wasn't so depressing, Deku would have claimed 'Villain Magnet' as a quirk. A wry, feral smile formed on his face as he hauled someone off the floor and dragged them towards a planter. Screams echoed behind him as two groups of villains clashed with one another. Once he was sure of the rescue he glanced about and darted back towards the fight.

People were calling for help, after all.

It took ten minutes for the first hero to show up. Deku recognized them as a local sidekick and kept working. Civilians were trapped behind cover here and there. No fires had broken out, but craters littered the plaza from where a villain's explosive quirk left its mark. Without actual firepower to suppress the two groups things would only continue to grow worse. Fifteen civilians were out, and Deku couldn't actually reach the storefronts to save anyone else. He ducked behind a corner and pulled out his phone.

" _Deku-kun!_ "

"I'm fine!" Deku sighed. "Two gangs are in a turf war in Kiyashi ward mall. There's a little less than twenty targets, and they're tearing the place apart!"

" _Deku-kun, stay there, we're on our way! Just stay out of the war zone!_ "

"I'm, uh, working on that!" Deku sprinted from his corner as a pair of goons tore out into the open. So far, they hadn't noticed him running around in their fight but if they did things would only get worse. "There's a small explosive quirk, but no one with any really damaging capabilities. You're looking at small time thugs, all armed with weapons. If you can, come in from east and west entrances at the same time!"

" _Got it! Stay safe!_ "

The line went dead. Deku ground his teeth as he hid behind a bench.

Uravity was on the way, probably with backup. This kind of thing never lasted more than half an hour.

Deku checked around, making sure none of the goons were close enough to find him. Luckily Okumura's was on the other side of the mall, spared from the chaos and destruction. Running all the way across the mall hadn't been easy but with the screams and the panic his legs had moved on their own again.

Deku glanced over the bench and locked eyes with a thug leaving one of the shops. He wasn't much older than Deku, with styled purple hair and similar eyes. In each hand he dragged a young girl by the hair, causing both girls to scream in pain and beg for their lives. When he saw Deku, the villains dropped the girls and raised his hands. Moments later a pair of red pulses tore through Deku's bench and the planter beside it.

On instinct he'd thrown himself out and avoided the blast. He could guess the quirk easily: somehow the villain turned sound into shockwaves (judging from the sudden silence), and he'd been after hostages to use. Color meant it was probably possible with light too but not nearly as effective and probably strained the user…

 _Stop it!_ Deku scrambled towards a staircase and headed upwards, watching as the thug grabbed the girls again. Before he'd ever reached the top Deku's feet froze. Uravity's voice rang in his head, but the blood roaring through his ears was so much louder. Without thinking he was vaulting from the second story, rolling across the floor and hurling himself at the villain.

When he came to, he was barely aware of anything other than the world spinning. Deku groaned but the sound came through his skull, not his ears. He could taste blood, though it wasn't much. Pushing himself off the floor made things spin even more but he managed to at least stay on his hands and knees.

His opponent (if Deku was even a challenger in the first place) was lying across the plaza from him. Halfway between his resting point and the villain's limp form was a small crater. The girls were both staring at the unconscious villain, and despite looking shocked they both seemed fine. Deku groaned. Standing was beyond him. Vaguely he wondered if he was experiencing shellshock. When he didn't see any movement from the villain Deku collapsed to the ground, desperate for a moment's rest.


	7. Meetings III

Every hero who'd graduated with her class, Ochako included, knew how to face and overcome fear. How long had it been since she'd raced towards a scene with icy, insurmountable fear growing in the pit of her gut? Todoroki, Kirishima and Mina were with her. Ochako had no reason to be afraid of the villains. But a frantic phone call from Deku had confirmed her worst fears. Now she was afraid of what she might find when it was all over.

Their team entered the west side, already in communication with the heroes on the other side of the mall. Kirishima and Todoroki had conveyed Deku's instructions. Ochako wasn't surprised when things wrapped up quickly: the heroes caught both sides from behind nearly at the same moment. Civilians were escorted from the shops and checked out while paramedics and police began streaming into the scene.

Ochako was breathing heavily from all the running, and only a small part of her nausea was from quirk usage. Deku hadn't found her yet. She crossed the plaza, searching the evacuating faces for his wild green hair.

"Uravity!" Kirishima's voice came from her left. Ochako whirled and raced towards his call.

First, she saw the civilians and some police cuffing an unconscious young man with purple hair. A pair of girls were being interviewed for some reason. They were in a little dead-end wing of the mall, just off the main battleground. Ochako searched frantically before finding Kirishima and Todoroki standing with a paramedic. Kirishima was cradling something in his arms, talking to the paramedic with a worried expression.

"No, no no no no…" Ochako raced across the plaza, only to be grabbed by Todoroki. His eyes drilled holes into her.

"Uravity, he's okay. Calm down. Take a breath." She nodded, followed his direction and let him guide her, slowly this time, over to where Kirishima was cradling Deku's limp frame. Whatever had happened, Deku looked okay. Other than a little blood coming from his mouth, there were barely any marks on him at all. His shirt and jacket were in tatters, and his pants were barely holding together. Ochako breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes fluttered and he twitched.

"Uravity? Uravity!" Ochako blinked and met Kirishima's stare.

"Yes!"

"We're sending Midoriya with the paramedics, got it? Let's help with the evacuation." Todoroki set a hand on her shoulder, and for a moment Ochako considered shrugging them both off.

 _Deku would hate that even more._ Ochako nodded and followed Todoroki, forcing her concern to the back of her mind for the time being. _He's just my friend. My friend is fine. Stop worrying!_

* * *

Deku had never spent much time in hospitals. Waking up in one was worrisome, after all the trouble he'd gone to avoiding them over the years. But he didn't have a panic attack or experience memory loss, so that was something. Considering he didn't wake up deaf or wearing any casts, he knew he should be grateful.

His mom was there when he woke up, and she looked… bad. Terrible, actually. Worried sick, exhausted, angry. She held his hand and asked him questions, and he went through the motions. Judging from the look in her eyes, and the way she asked her questions, there was more to come. But it would wait till they got home, when she could make sure he was okay. The idea made him nauseated.

After an hour or so the doctor came in and checked him out. Before they could leave, though, he had to see the police.

Suddenly Deku felt very, very small.

* * *

Ochako wasn't used to waiting in hospitals. Having Kirishima, Todoroki and Mina there made it easier, but she wasn't sure why they'd come.

It wasn't unusual for a sidekick or a hero to sign off after a large-scale attack once the incident was settled. Victims could be family, acquaintances, lovers… There were countless reasons for side-kicks and heroes to go immediately from the field to the hospitals or police stations. Ochako had almost never done it, unless it was an old classmate that was injured during the attacks. She'd almost never changed and called in so fast, either.

Waiting for Deku to wake up was nerve wracking. Her friends held on, comforting her when she paced and ran her hands over her face. She didn't ask them why they were coming to see someone they'd never met.

The moment the doctor left, she stood and moved towards the door. She hesitated, and her friends watched patiently. After a moment, she stepped back from the door.

"Um… You guys…?" Todoroki raised an eyebrow.

"You're wondering why we came along?" Ochako smiled, though it felt like she was using her quirk.

"Well… he's nervous and shy, and…"

"Chako-chan, he's your friend, right?" Mina stood up and stretched. Her faced lacked all of her normal impishness. Ochako nodded. "I'm curious about him. But I came to be here for you."

"I would like to speak to him." Todoroki's claim stunned her. He just shrugged in answer to her silence.

"I'd like to check up on him, but if you think having us around is too much…" Kirishima sighed and sat back down. "You know him better than I do."

"Let me ask her, first. His mother, I mean." She swallowed the nervousness in her throat. "This is probably gonna be bad way to meet her, huh? Even though he's told me so much about her…"

"Forget about all that, 'Chako-chan." Mina grinned. "He's just your friend, right?"

Ochako glared at her friend but after a second, she laughed.

"Yeah. Thanks, Mina." Ochako spun, took a breath, and knocked. After a few moments, she opened the door to slip inside.

Faced with his hospital room, Ochako was forced to admit how worried she'd been. Izuku had been in terrible shape. He'd been alone, facing odds beyond him, and he'd gotten injured again. The pit in her stomach lessened as she stepped inside and found him sitting up, talking with his mom. No casts, IVs, or anything extensive. Deku took one look at her before his jaw dropped.

"Uraraka-san?!"

"Oh my, do you know Izuku?" Midoriya Inko was just like Izuku had told her. Ochako waved nervously as the older woman came closer.

"Eh, well, I'm a friend… I just wanted to see if he was okay an' all." Immediately Inko's expression softened. Her tired, worry lined face creased with a wide, easy smile. Ochako felt herself relax. Obviously Deku had gotten that honest, bright smile from his mother. They shared something special, something that Ochako hadn't been able to really put her finger on.

"Of course. Thanks for coming all this way to visit." Inko waved to the chairs on the wall. "Would you like to sit with us for a minute, Uraraka-san?"

"Ah, well…" Ochako looked at Deku, who was still working over the idea that she'd come to visit him in the hospital.

 _Like ripping off a band-aid, right?_

"Some of my friends came to visit too. They wanted to meet you." Deku froze.

"Izuku? Izuku, are you all right? I'm sorry, Uraraka-san, he must…"

"No, mom, it's f-fine!" His stutter returned in force. Ochako winced as he ground his teeth and forced the words out. The way he smiled, with all the worry and history packed into the lines of his face, was exactly like his mom's. "Uraraka-san and… Uh, I, She's a g-good f-f… friend of mine. I t-trust her."

"…Okay, Izuku." Inko looked conflicted. Ochako couldn't blame her. Everything about how Deku was acting said he wasn't ready.

 _Really, I should probably just go. Leave him with his mother and let them talk._ Similar thoughts raced through her mind, but there was something in his eyes. A flash like green sparks, a will that was stronger than his tremors and stuttering. His hands gripped the sheets till his knuckles were white as the sheets themselves. Somewhere, buried underneath this anxious person was a bright, strong young man trying to come out.

"I'll go get them then." Ochako smiled, and Deku tried to smile back.

* * *

Inko was worried. Deku couldn't blame her, after what had happened back in school. Friends weren't exactly something he knew how to handle. He was having trouble just calling Uraraka a friend, and she was probably his only friend. Watching her leave made him clench even tighter.

"Sorry for intruding…" Three people followed Uraraka back into the room, and Deku forgot how to breathe.

Todoroki Shouto was the first one who jumped out at him. Son of the number one hero, wielder of one of the single most powerful quirks in all of Japan. He seemed impassive, but Deku could pick out a few little quirks in his expression. Todoroki's gaze had a weight behind it, but he didn't seem uncomfortable or stand-off-ish.

Ashido Mina was much too reserved. Considering how she behaved on-scene and in public, Deku was flattered that she was being so quiet. Her smile was dazzling, though it was different from the easy-going smile Uraraka sometimes showed off. Ashido's was a constant spotlight. Inko seemed confused when Ashido struck up a conversation with her, but Deku was secretly glad to see it happen.

He'd met Red Riot before, but it was different running into Kirishima Eijirou. Kirishima gave him a handshake and asked how he was doing, showing off those sharp teeth with an ever-constant grin. Despite all of them being dressed casually, Kirishima was the only one who stuck out. Easy conversation flowed out of both Kirishima and Uraraka, though it took a while for Deku's brain to reboot before he actually managed to speak.

"Eh, um, w-w-wait… Y-you're- what, why, but I'm- Ah, s-sorry for the trouble...!"

A moment of silence passed before Kirishima, Ashido and Uraraka shared a bit of a laugh. Inko seemed to relax as the tension in the room drained away.

"Dude, we came to make sure you were okay. Besides, you can't apologize for bein' a hero!" Kirishima laughed. Uraraka took a seat on the bedside, grinning at him as if the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I know you can't help it, Deku-kun. But I'm really glad you're all right…"

"Yeah! I came because 'Chako-chan hardly ever makes friends and you seem like a really interesting guy!"

"Minaaaaa!"

"Midoriya-san." Deku turned towards Todoroki, who'd approached his bedside and extended a hand.

"You acted bravely out there. Uraraka told us some about you, but I wanted to meet you in person. I'm glad you're all right."

"Eh…"

* * *

"Um…" Todoroki and Kirishima shared an uneasy look when Deku didn't respond. Ochako was worried until the reason suddenly hit her, and she couldn't help laughing. Inko seemed to have realized it as well, and the older woman was smiling broadly. After another minute, Deku seemed to catch up.

* * *

"Ah, sorry! I'm n-not used to p-people! I, uh, thanks! Y-y-you're… R-really Todoroki…"

"Todoroki-kun, don't mind him." Uraraka was laughing at him, and Inko seemed just as amused by his reaction. Ashido and Kirishima just looked confused. Deku's cheeks burned as if he'd been set on fire. "He's a bit of a hero nerd. I think he knows more about our careers than we do!"

"I, I do not! It's j-just a hobby, I swear! Uraraka-san…!" Ashido and Kirishima joined in the laughter. Todoroki nodded, and a small smile broke out on his features. His face may as well have been on fire, being laughed at by his friend and his heroes.

"Sorry, Midoriya, but it's pretty funny seeing something like that. I'm not used to people fanning over me." Kirishima grinned. Deku wondered absent mindedly how he could smile for so long, but he could feel himself smiling too. It was hard not to smile.

"You're all famous… It's really just a hobby though, I'm not a s-stalker or anything…" He dug through his hair for a moment. Uraraka patted his leg.

"Don't worry, Deku-kun, I didn't tell them anything bad. They know what kind of guy you are."

"The type who'd throw himself into a fight to save others." Todoroki intoned. "I'd like to hear what happened, if that's okay?"

* * *

Ochako grinned. Todoroki never spoke more than a full sentence around most people, let alone a stranger. What he saw in Izuku was beyond her, but she had her own reasons. Memories of sparks, a bright, cheery smile, and more scars than she could count whirled through her brain.

"Um, the p-police need a statement… apparently… B-but, the g-guy… villain- uh, he had a quirk that turned s-sound into w-wa… into kinetic b-blasts." Deku's hands worked idly on his lap, making signs and gestures. He was never sitting still. As he spoke he stared at his lap, too, but his eyes seemed dark and unfocused. Ochako settled a hand on his leg and left it there, though it was probably crossing a line. "He grabbed two hostages and I… H-he saw me, so I c-couldn't- He started firing. When I tried to get away he left me alone, but he had those two girls."

Inko settled into her chair and mirrored Ochako's hand on Deku's leg. It was hard to listen to him talk. Rage and sympathy blurred together in her mind. Ochako knew that her friends could feel how torn he was. For them, leaping in was just another day. Maybe there were risks, or maybe they knew how to handle themselves. Leaping into danger was second nature regardless. How would they feel knowing that they _couldn't_ help people?

Stain came to mind. The hero killer who took down both the heroes in the Iida family and ran loose till Endeavor finally caught him. Ochako remembered the hospital, and the news that he wouldn't be returning. Her first and second sports festivals, when she knew there was no hope and still got pummeled into the ground.

Grief, anger, guilt… The pain on his face was so evident that it made her want to cry. Maybe destiny was really just that cruel.

"I jumped from the stairs and managed to tackle him. Maybe… I surprised him, or something. I'm not sure. But instead of hitting me the shockwave hit us both. After that I passed out."

"Midoriya." Kirishima was the first one to speak up. Ochako was a little surprised by that. Todoroki seemed like he was the one who wanted to know Midoriya. After a little hesitation, though, Kirishima just smiled. "You're really reckless, you know that?"

"Y-yeah…"

"But it's pretty manly!" Mina, Todoroki and Ochako smiled at the response. Deku blushed again. "I hope we can be friends, man. Really. You seem like a great guy!"

"I'd like to talk to you some more too! Ochako says you're really good with quirks and tactics!" Mina flashed her smile. Ochako wasn't sure why Deku shied away from Mina, but she took a wild guess that she was too over the top for him and his shyness. He nodded and murmured assent to both of them. Todoroki slipped his hands into his pockets and gave Midoriya a smile as easy as breathing.

* * *

"I'd like to be friends as well. If you wouldn't mind talking sometimes." Izuku glanced back and forth between all four of them, from Ochako's wide smile and the others' easy-going expressions, blushing like mad. He hid his eyes behind his hair and trembled a bit, then sighed and sat up a bit instead.

"I… I'd like that…!"


	8. Confrontations I

Sadly, Deku being unfamiliar with the debriefing officers didn't mean that they weren't familiar with _him_. He winced as a particularly thick file hit the desk and a surly man sat down across from him. The second officer remained quiet, and seemingly uninterested.

"Izuku Midoriya, eh? I've heard of you. Thorn in the department's side." The officer's eyes narrowed. "Now here you are. Fresh out of the hospital. I guess you're supposed to tell me why, aren't you?"

Deku swallowed. His guts felt like they were going through a washing machine. Leaving the heroes out of the interview was definitely a bad idea. Asking his mom to let him do it alone was pointless, too. It's not like she hadn't already heard what happened. She may have given the officer an earful, though, and Deku didn't need the trouble. When had he begun thinking of having his mom's help as being troublesome…?

The story came out slowly. Little noises and notes from the officer made him so nervous it was hard for him to continue. After almost a half hour Deku finished telling the tale. He licked his lips as the officer continued making notes for a while, then answered a few more direct questions.

"All right. Well, I'm glad you're doing all right. Sounds like a hell of a time. Go ahead." The surly officer continued making his notes. Deku's jaw worked for a minute or two without anything actually happening before the officer noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"I… Uh, I'm s-surprised… Y-you're not yelling at me…" The officer sighed and dug his thumbs into his eyes.

"Midoriya, I'll be honest. I don't like you." Deku blinked in surprise. The officer continued. "You get involved in too much crime to be a coincidence, but you're always helping people. Plus, after reading your file and the extensive background work done while you were an applicant, I don't blame the others for calling you a liability. It's like you just can't learn how to take care of yourself."

Deku nodded. All these things were normal. Officers treated him that way constantly. This particular officer sighed, as if knowing all of that didn't do him any good.

"But this time… You actually managed to save two civilians. No matter what the police think, you were a hero for a moment there." The officer's eyes focused into an intense glare. "I'm not indulging your stupid fantasy about being a hero. Personally, I'd throw you in jail for obstruction if I caught you on half of the things that are in this damn file. I don't like you. But at the end of the day, you haven't rolled across my radar before and I don't have time to deal with you."

Deku nodded and left the room, moving without much thought. The officer's words had put his mind in a fog and left him without direction. Inko noticed his mood and left him to it, choosing to escort him out of the hospital and get them moving toward home.

The train ride was particularly harsh. Memories of the sludge incident opened up like freshly broken scabs. He clutched at his mother's hand and gripped it till she had to unclench his fingers. Only when they were in the apartment did he come back to reality. Inko sent him to the shower and then to bed.

* * *

Ochako was worried. More so, probably, than she should have been. It had only been three days since Deku's incident and discharge. A rational part of her brain kept telling that he was probably fine. The police wouldn't have done anything harsh or out of line in the debriefing room.

Right?

Todoroki, Mina and Kirishima had didn't understand. They passed it off when she told them she hadn't heard from him in a few days, as if that was something people did normally. Maybe it was something they did normally. Deku wasn't exactly normal.

* * *

Deku grabbed wildly for his phone when it started ringing. The light burned his eyes, but he opened it anyways and looked.

 _Uraraka-san (Uravity)_

The time made him blink and claw at the sleep infesting his eyes.

"…Uraraka-san…?"

* * *

He sounded bad.

"Eh, Deku-kun? Did I wake you up?"

" _I think so. Sorry, I know it's still early in the evening. What's up?_ "

"I, um… I was worried. I haven't heard from you in a few days." Ochako chewed her lip. "Not since you were debriefed."

" _Oh. I'm sorry for worrying you, Uraraka-san. I should have let you know I was okay._ "

"It went okay then?"

" _I… I think so. I told them what happened. They didn't yell at me._ " He sighed.

"Deku-kun, are you feeling all right?" Ochako's cheeks burned, just a little. Asking something so forward was out of her nature. Deku was too skittish for things like that. But… leaving things be made her feel even worse.

 _"…_ _I really made you worry. I'm sorry, Uraraka-san. I'm okay_."

"I'm glad." Silence came through the phone line like static. "Eh, if you have time, maybe we could all have lunch sometime this week?"

" _Will you have the time? I mean, with work…_ "

"Of course! It'll be okay!"

" _Th-then I'd like that… I need to properly thank you all for coming to my hospital room, too._ "

"You don't need to thank us! Well I don't know about the others, but I was making sure you were okay after that attack. It' natural to visit your friends, isn't it?"

" _…_ _Eh, y-yeah! Y-you're right. B-but I'd still like to thank you all somehow…_ "

"We'll talk about that later." Ochako giggled. She could practically see his red face on the other end of the line.

" _Mmhmm! I'll talk to you soon, Uraraka-san."_

"Good night, Deku-kun!"

* * *

The line went dead, but Deku smiled anyways. Uraraka always left him feeling a little floaty. Maybe it was being friends with someone or being friends with a _girl_. Sometimes he wondered if it had anything to do with her being a Hero. No matter the reason, he enjoyed it. He enjoyed talking to her. For a moment he chuckled.

 _Maybe she's using her quirk on me… Tuning all my problems weightless like this._

They agreed to lunch on a Wednesday. Deku was shocked when he arrived and found Todoroki waiting at the table.

"Ah, eh, T-Todoroki-sama…" Todoroki paled at the stuttered introduction.

"Please, Midoriya, there's no need for that. We're friends, aren't we?" Deku clenched his fists and swallowed.

"Um… Y-yeah. Sorry, you- I was surprised, to see you here this soon I mean." Todoroki took a seat and looked at him.

"I wanted to talk to you. You seem like the kind who would get here early." Deku wasn't sure what to make of that. He wasn't even sure why Todoroki's eyes made him feel so exposed. Only people who'd known him back in school made him feel the same.

"W-what did you want to talk to me about?"

"…Your scars." Deku froze. He pictured himself running for the exits, making some kind of excuse to skip lunch and just deleting his contact list. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done that to someone. With everything that happened, he'd forgotten who'd found him during the attack on the mall.

No wonder he felt so exposed.

"I'm sorry. My bluntness is probably not the best way to go about this, but I don't know you well enough." Deku met Todoroki's gaze despite the ice seeping through his gut. Forced himself to meet Todoroki's gaze, and put some steel in his own spine.

"I… Y-you're right… B-but- I'll do my best." Todoroki nodded.

"What happened?" Deku rolled that around in his head.

Uraraka was kindhearted. She knew how nervous he was and didn't ever ask questions he didn't like. He'd known that she was trying to help him, not help him with anything but _help_ help him instead. Why had he expected the other heroes to do the same? Uraraka was nice. Probably too nice to him, actually. It wasn't like he deserved it.

 _Stop._ He flinched. The logical part of his brain dug up everything he knew about Todoroki, trying to formulate a response.

"If it's not something you want to talk about, then don't."

Deku's brain short circuited.

"W-what?" Todoroki leaned back in his chair.

"I'm curious about you. Uraraka speaks highly of you, and even though you couldn't fight back you threw yourself at a villain. But being curious doesn't mean I want you to be uncomfortable." Todoroki's eyes wandered the restaurant. Deku sighed in relief when those eyes left him alone for a moment. "I meant what I said in the hospital. We could be good friends I think."

His eyes returned to Deku.

"If I'm right… I think you and I may be able to relate to one another pretty well." Deku stared back at Todoroki. His mind was empty, as if a villain had leapt up out of the ground and begun wreaking havoc. There was no way he could possibly think straight after hearing…

"Y-you're talking about Endeavor, aren't you?"

Todoroki didn't go cold, or glare. Nothing about him changed. His gaze remained painfully level.

"You say that like you know something others don't." A little bit a twitch formed above his right eye. Deku's eyes widened.

"I-It's not like that. B-but I- eh, there are a few… theories."

"Really?" Deku laughed. It wasn't the same as with Uraraka. Laughing with Todoroki was like laughing at a bad joke. At one of his own jokes.

"There's no way you haven't seen them." Todoroki was quiet for a few minutes.

"If you'd ever like to talk, I'm open to it." Deku could hear something in his voice. Not curiosity or anger. He wasn't sure what Todoroki was feeling, honestly, but there were hints here and there of something underneath the façade he wore.

"Have you ever talked to the others in your class about it?" It was hard not to grin at the shock on Todoroki's face, even if it was only momentary. Deku hated people acting with that kind of still-faced bullshit. Heroes did it all the time. Most of them, anyways. All the wrong ones. Todoroki blinked a few times, then looked at the table between them.

"No. Not all of them. Only one."

"Yaoyorozu-sama, right?" Todoroki's expression turned dark when he looked up. Deku met it easily, now that he could see Todoroki's real face. "I'm a hero fan, Todoroki-san. I know a lot about you all. Not personally, but I've seen footage and interviews and such. There's a lot out there on the internet."

"That… Is no one's business but ours."

"You're right." They stared off for a few moments. "Uraraka-san has been trying to… to help me. She only became friends with me for that. But… I don't want to stop being her friend. Uraraka-san is really nice to me."

"What does that…"

"You weren't the only one who saw my scars, were you?" Todoroki shook his head slowly. Understanding seeped into his eyes. It seemed all the emotions that weren't passionate showed around his eyes. How Ironic. "Uraraka-san doesn't ask questions like that because she's afraid I'll stop being her friend and she won't be able to help me. But… you're right. You and I may be able to understand one another.

"I'd like to be friends with you all. I'm not good at having friends. Talking about things like that… about my problems… It may help me overcome them. And I think that would make Uraraka-san happy. Plus, it would mean that you all could come to me too, if you had things you wanted to talk about. I'd really, really… like that…" Deku sighed and ran a hand through his curls. "Maybe this is all too much. I asked about your class because I wondered if you'd told them about your past, too."

"You wanted to see how they may take it." Todoroki stated. Deku nodded.

"I'm not exactly comfortable just… talking about it." Todoroki scoffed.

"I can tell." A wry smile creased his face. "You're pretty good under pressure though. Your stutter is gone."

"Yeah…" Deku laughed. "I don't know that's about."

"I have a guess or two." Todoroki's smile changed from wry to small and, dare Deku say, fond? "I think I'm beginning to see what Uraraka sees in you, Midoriya."

Deku smiled. He knew that had to be a compliment.


	9. Revelations I

The call came out of nowhere. She'd been expecting some days off anyways, so she took one as soon as she could and headed off towards one of the more high-end portions of the city. Momo accompanied her, to her delight. It was hard not feeling small around those massive houses.

"Ah! Uraraka-san and Yaoyorozu-san! Punctual as ever!" Tenya opened the door with a small smile, gesturing for them to head inside. Ochako and Momo each gave him a brief hug once they entered, which he returned a bit stiffly. His home was large, but there were touches here and there to make it feel warmer. No matter how many times she'd been there Ochako couldn't help staring.

"What caused you to call us up so out of the blue, Iida-san? It has been a while since we all heard from you, outside of mail." Tenya showed them to the sitting room and let them get comfortable. His hands jutted outward as he began speaking.

"I simply realized I hadn't spoken with any of you in some time. You're all my close friends, even if we weren't able to graduate together." Ochako smiled, even though it hurt a bit for him to say out loud.

"Yeah, it has been a while huh?" Ochako was never sure how far she could go. Tenya was barely mobile, even if he was in ridiculously good shape. She wanted to go out and do things with him, but the cane sitting on the couch always made her stop before inviting him out. For a while they sat and made small talk about the weather, movies and drama amongst their friends. Anything to fill the silence. Silence in the Iida house wasn't so comfortable as it was in other places.

Tenya and Tensei were special cases amongst the hero community. While they weren't the first to be injured in the line of duty, but the tragedy was one of the worst the family had seen. In Tensei's case, it was heartbreaking. Losing Tenya's budding career so soon after had been… Ochako didn't have the words to guess how hard that was. She'd lost a classmate, and a friend, and the hurt was still fresh. He still smiled though. Somehow, they were working through it.

"I've been watching out for all of you in the news. Uravity and Creati seem like they're doing very well! As expected of my friends!" Momo grinned. Ochako wondered how she always looked so bright and cheery in the face of things. She didn't seem like the type to fake happiness, but she was always so talkative. She even managed to dance around things like invitations without making things awkward. It wasn't the first time Ochako envied the woman.

"Of course, we're all trying our best. It's only natural. Though it has been rather hectic recently. That mall attack last week was especially large." Ochako snapped out of her trance and smiled towards Tenya.

"That was masterfully handled by the way, Uraraka-san! You all settled the matter very quickly." She brushed him off with a wave of her hand.

"It was nothing. We had details on what was happening inside, anyways. A friend of ours got caught up in it all." Tenya blinked in shock.

"You mean one of our class?"

"Ah, no, a civilian friend of mine." Momo smiled.

"He's been making some real headway in our class, actually. Mina, Kirishima and Todoroki are all very fond of him as well after the incident." Ochako grinned. Deku had been nervous during their lunch, but according to Momo he and Todoroki had hit it off surprisingly well.

"Really? That's surprising, if you don't mind my saying so. Todoroki is a tough judge of character." Ochako nodded, though Momo would probably disagree. "I'd like to meet him if he's gained that much popularity. I'm sure he's someone upstanding!"

"De- Midoriya-kun would probably like that! He's a bit of a hero nerd. You should have seen him when Todoroki, Kirishima and Mina all visited him." Ochako almost laughed. Instead she and Momo both stared as Tenya's face warped. It almost seemed as though emotions were turning over too quickly… "Eh, Iida-kun, did I…"

"You said his name was Midoriya?" Tenya's eyes narrowed. He wasn't glaring, but he seemed suddenly interested.

"Uh, yeah… Midoriya Izuku. Do you know each other?" Ochako felt a pit open in her stomach and begin to stretch.

"No, we…" Tenya pushed his glasses up his nose and leaned forward. "But the person who called the police and heroes after my incident in Hosu was named Midoriya."

"Well, I'm sure that's a coincidence…" Momo stammered. She was looking back and forth between them, frantically looking for some way to defuse the situation. Tenya seemed… grim. Ochako felt like she was going to be sick.

"Iida-kun, I… I've never asked but do you remember anything from Hosu?"

* * *

"Okumura-sama, do you mind… Um, I mean, would it be okay…" The old man smiled and sighed.

"Is everything all right, Midoriya-kun?"

"Ah, well, I… C-could I take a bit longer f-for lunch today?" Okumura Sr. grinned.

"Take all the time you need, my boy. I'll man the register. If I might ask, though… Do you have plans?" Deku blushed. Okumura had gotten far too happy after hearing about Uraraka, and now every time Deku mentioned her the old man smiled in just such a way…

"W-well Uraraka asked me to m-meet a friend of hers. A hero named C-Creati."

"A lunch date…?"

"N-no! Nothing… It's n-not like that!" Deku's face _burned._

"Well, have fun Midoriya-kun." Okumura Sr. chuckled. His nephew didn't even bother hiding his snickering at Deku's expense. "I hope it goes well."

After more assurances that it certainly wasn't like _that_ , Deku managed to head towards the train.

It was a silly thought. Uraraka was a hero. No one like that would ever admire someone like him. Dating a part-time cashier was too far beneath someone as incredible as Uraraka. He shoved the thought as far out of his mind as he could and left it at that. There was no point in wishing for things that were impossible, right? Of course. Okumura-san didn't understand. She was too good for someone like him. Besides, she was just being his friend to help him out with his… issues. Not that he hated her for that. If it wasn't for Uraraka, he'd be alone.

Lunch was further than he would have liked, but it wasn't surprising. Creati was a high-class person and meeting anywhere he was used to was out of the question. He'd worn a long sleeve shirt that was passably nice, in place of his usual baggy clothes. It bothered him more than it should have but wearing his sweatshirts to a place like that would embarrass Uraraka.

He wouldn't dare do that, after everything she'd done for him.

The café was nice. It had a receptionist. He fought off the suspicion that she was disapproving of him as she headed down the hall to a private room. A spike of fear and nausea pierced and rolled through him as he stared at the door. She opened it with a (suddenly nefarious seeming) smile and bowed politely before leaving him in the hall. Once he'd gathered up the courage, he stepped inside and began a greeting, only for the words to turn to ash on his tongue.

Uraraka's expression was strained, but pleasant. He knew that expression well from when she forced herself not to ask about him. Despite that, she seemed well.

Beside Uraraka was a woman who was, without a doubt, more beautiful than anyone he'd ever seen in person. She wore a nice blouse and a skirt, tailored and nicer than anything Deku had ever owned before. Her long black hair was pulled into a bun, leaving her bangs to drape across part of her face. Dark brown eyes took in everything about him in an instant, and he was written off as quickly as ever. She was more worried about the other two people in the room, and he didn't blame her at all.

The third person was a young man, broader than Deku but roughly the same height if not shorter. Glasses sat perched on a squarish nose, hiding dark blue eyes beneath gleaming dark blue hair. His jaw was firm, and clenched tightly, despite the small smile he was forcing. Muscle was bound tightly to his wide frame, obvious despite his loose-fitting short sleeved shirt and slacks. A cane sat close by. Most people may ask about the cane or ask after Iida Tenya's health. Deku didn't need to do either.

Iida Tenya was someone Deku kept a very close eye on. He was certain that Iida didn't know him, and shouldn't know him, and definitely _shouldn't be in the room looking at him with that tense expression._ He would have run, if any part of him would listen to his brain. A foot rested on the raised floor of the private room, poised for him to step up. Everyone in the room could tell he'd frozen after meeting eyes with Iida.

"Deku-kun… Um, sorry, but…" Uraraka trailed off as Iida grabbed his cane and stood, limping towards the door. They never broke eye contact. Deku's paralysis ended with the first motion, though, and he'd slowly retreated towards the closed panel behind him.

"You're… Midoriya-san?" Iida's voice wasn't like he remembered. It was normal, if a bit dry. As if Iida was nervous. Deku wet his own lips on instinct. He didn't nod or move in response. "My apologies for intruding on your friendship with Uraraka-san, but I couldn't help myself. I felt that I had to meet with you."

Deku felt the world going dark around him. Iida's expression wasn't unreadable, but it was damn close. There was no kindness or fondness in that expression. He was in pain from looking at Deku, and Deku couldn't blame him for that. Black caved in around his vision.

* * *

Ochako was terrified.

When she saw him go still, she rushed across and tentatively touched his shoulder. He was unresponsive and beginning to hyperventilate. Momo appeared by her side, ushering Ochako out of the way and moving Deku so that he was sitting down.

"This was a bad idea, Ochako. He's having a flashback! Iida, stay where you are." Iida froze in place. The emotional turmoil on his face cut Ochako like a knife.

"What do you mean a flashback?" Ochako slid just out of the way, ready to be of use when Momo needed her. Momo looked shocked when she turned to face her.

"Ochako… You didn't know?" Ochako's eyes widened. Momo shook her head and kept moving. "Of course not… You wouldn't have let this happen if you'd known. I think Midoriya is having a PTSD flashback."

Ochako's world lurched sideways.

 _Why didn't I think of that…?_ PTSD fit almost all of the symptoms. She knew from experience that he was wrapped up in attacks almost once or twice a week. Being subject to discrimination, getting caught up in attacks like that, the _scars_ …

 _Why didn't I make that connection?_

For ten long minutes Ochako watched Momo tend to Izuku. His eyes were like black pits, with barely any green in them. Iida watched from the table in obvious anguish. Suddenly Momo startled Ochako by grabbing her hand gently.

"Try talking to him. Maybe it will help bring him out of it." Ochako swallowed. Her throat was dry, she realized.

"Deku-kun…? Deku-kun!" She gently gripped his shoulder. Tears well in her eyes, still unbroken. "Please…"

* * *

 _Hosu was in flames. Sidekicks and heroes were evacuating the citizens, and beasts like that monster he'd seen on the news were terrorizing the area. Deku ducked through alleyway after alleyway. No one would listen to him, but these were the perfect conditions for another attack…_

 _A scream cut through the night. Izuku's legs carried him toward it without any regard for what he would find, as always. He tripped, stumbling into the alley just as a bony man in rags pulled a katana from a body dressed in armor. Stain grinned maliciously. Trembling, watching as Stain licked the blood from his weapon, Izuku pulled out his phone and called the emergency hotline. Stain turned towards another person, a man dressed in brown clothes, and pulled his blade back, ready to stab down and end him._

 _"_ _No…!" He ran out again, throwing his bag and charging into the alleyway without a second thought. Stain was no sludge villain. One hand caught the bag while the other blurred forward and slashed with his sword. That kind of speed was inhuman. Izuku trembled on the ground, staring up into the eyes of the Hero Killer. Luckily, he still clutched his phone and at some point he'd put it on speaker._

 _Words came from the phone, but they didn't sound like words. He said something, but the feeling of his jaw moving didn't make any sound he could understand. Stain pointed the katana at him with a leer. After a moment the villain walked off into the darkness, leaving Izuku there to watch Iida Tenya and Native to bleed out. Tears poured down his cheeks as he turned Iida over and began checking his vitals._

 _"_ You're not a hero…" _Native's words cut Izuku enough that he paused while checking Iida. A second later his hands began the motions again, but static invaded his mind until he thought he would pass out._

" _Deku-kun…?_ Deku-kun!"

He blinked. Someone had pushed his hair back and the light was too bright for his eyes. They weren't in an alley, smoke wasn't choking the city and Iida-san wasn't bleeding out. Yaoyorozu and Uraraka were staring at him with concern. It took him a moment before he realized that both of them were touching him and suddenly he was very aware of how _close_ they were and that he'd probably just had another breakdown and…

"Deku-kun!" His hand jerked forward as Uraraka grabbed it. He hadn't even realized he was moving, probably to yank on his hair or bite his nails. Uraraka's eyes were full of unshed tears, though one or two were leaking out now. "I'm sorry Deku-kun…!"

"Eh… Uraraka-san?" He flushed as she threw herself forward and wrapped him in a hug. "Eh?! U-U-U-Ura…!"

Deku sat on the empty side of the table, flushed and hiding behind his bangs again. Uraraka looked drained, and though she wouldn't meet his eye she wasn't crying anymore. Yaoyorozu looked sufficiently drained and stressed that he was sure she'd hate him after such a meeting. Iida… Iida looked about as grim as before and then some. When Iida finally jerked onto his feet (as much as he could, given his injuries) and shuffled around towards him, Deku nearly leapt out of his skin in fright.

The bow took him by surprise.

"Thank you for everything!" Light slowly returned to his eyes. He blinked. "Without your assistance that night I may not be alive today. I should have met with you sooner and said as much, but… Thank you, Midoriya-san."

"Eh…?" Deku managed a squeak. Iida straightened up and extended a hand. The motion was sudden and jerky and all in straight lines. Was he...

"I'm sorry! Uraraka warned me that you're not one for surprises but I had to meet with you and thank you for being there that night."

"T-thank… me…?" Deku swallowed the block in his throat. "I-I didn't do anything…!"

"You called the paramedics and kept me stable. My memory isn't that great, but Native-san mentioned a young man leaping into the alley soon after I received my injury. Wasn't that you?"

"I…" Ice rolled through Deku's veins. It gripped his heart until it felt as if his chest were empty.

"Deku-kun." His eyes slid to Uraraka. She was glaring at him. "You can talk to me. To all of us."

"I agree. Iida-kun has only the best intentions." Yaoyorozu spoke up. She looked conflicted. Deku took a breath, counting silently to himself. After a few more tries, he managed to calm down enough to look Iida in the eye again.

"Y-you don't have to th-thank me." It was hard to look the other man in the eye. Deku felt like his spine would snap in half from the weight. The pained look on Iida's face deepened.

"Thanking you is the least I can do for saving my life." Deku wanted to say that it wasn't. Words formed in his brain, then froze and melted to nothing the next moment. He couldn't say anything against it, or he knew Iida and Uraraka wouldn't want him to say anything against it, so he didn't. Iida nodded and swallowed, apparently satisfied to have said his piece. Now they waited for the silence to clear.

* * *

The silence lingered and threatened to choke her. Deku looked like a scared rabbit even after Iida returned to his seat. Ochako wanted to help, but… She was still dealing with the hurricane in her gut. Every time she thought Deku couldn't get any more worrisome, or any more amazing, she stumbled upon something else that only made it worse.

"Sorry for surprising you like this, Deku-kun."

"I-it's… Uh, Y-you didn't d-do anything wrong." He forced a horrible smile. Part of her wanted to laugh and the other wanted to cry.

"Uraraka-san and Yaoyorozu-san had nothing to do with it, Midoriya-san. I asked them to set this up despite Uraraka-san's assurances that you may be uncomfortable. My apologies…"

"R-really it's f-fine…" Deku broke in. "I c-can't b-blame… Y-you must have really f-felt like- You wanted to meet me…"

"Yes." Iida breathed. Ochako watched carefully. A few little signs of tension began to disappear from his expression. "Very much so. I was amazed that such a coincidence arose."

"I-I, p-p-pretty m- It is weird, isn't it…" Deku chuckled weakly. He was trembling now, which sent up an alarm flag.

"Deku-kun, are you…" He nodded.

"I… Th-there's times w-when I get flashbacks… The d-doctors say it's minor P-PTSD. N-normally I'm okay unless, unless- Trains are b-bad. B-but I'm okay. Th-the shaking will p-pass."

Ochako felt her throat tighten up. Maybe she'd been against the plan, but Iida…

 _No, I'm the one who asked him here. I did this._ She turned her eyes to the floor.

"Uraraka-san, I'm fine! P-please don't look like that…"

"I should've guessed that… I've seen the scars…" She murmured. A hiss escaped Deku. Ochako felt the knot in her chest tighten even further.

"Todoroki-san mentioned that." He sighed. Ochako chewed her lip.

"Ah, Midoriya-san, your stutter…" Momo piped up.

"It comes and goes… I, Todoroki-san and- He brought it up before our lunch. That you'd all seen the scars, I mean. He was curious." Deku paused, let out a little breath. Ochako thought it was a laugh. "You're all really nice… I'm not used to that."

"Midoriya…" Iida choked.

"Ah, sorry. That got a little odd. Eh, what I should be saying… Um… I'm not surprised that Iida heard about me. I worried about it for a while. Y-you guys don't know me b-but one of your classmates was an a-acquaintance of mine. I thought it would be him first. Honestly I'm not sure if this is better."

"You knew one of our friends?" Momo asked.

"Bakugo-san. We grew up together. I doubt he'd remember me at all. B-but that's not important! Um… Iida-san, I wasn't able to do anything for you. You would've been fine without my interference. All I did was get another scar and get scolded by the police. Native-san, as well." Deku sniffed. Ochako looked away from the floor. Across the table Deku was smiling, but there was something fragile and miserable about that smile. It was the kind of smile that had piqued her interest the first time, every time she'd seen him before they were actually friends. That smile cracked her heart. Judging from the way the temperature dropped around the table, she wasn't the only one who felt that way. "I'm not a hero, Iida-san. You all are heroes."

"Deku-kun, what do you mean you got a scar?" Ochako blurted. She pictured the map of scars that she'd seen, and one long one across his chest. "You- You mean Stain…"

"Midoriya-san, if you were injured…"

"I'm fine!" Deku blurted out. One hand idly gripped his shirt over the left side of his chest, confirming her suspicions. "I know some first aid… Enough to take care of myself. That wasn't supposed to be the point…"

"Midoriya-san, if you were hurt in my defense then I owe you an apology…!"

"Iida-kun, I don't think Midoriya-kun would like that." Ochako, Iida and Deku all turned to look at Momo in surprise. She gave them a little smile. "Well, he already had one difficult time today, so it seems someone should be listening to what Midoriya-kun is saying."

"Y-Yaoyorozu-san…" Deku breathed. Ochako felt a little heat in her cheeks at the way he said it.

"I suppose I haven't been listening to Midoriya-san's words entirely, have I… I may not agree…" Iida stiffened and gestured as lightly as Ochako had ever seen, as if trying to hold himself in check. "With your opinion of yourself, but I will do my best to respect your wish to avoid any more ceremony!"

"Thank you…" Deku laughed. This time it was a little more honest. Ochako felt the darkness dissipate a bit.

"On that note, Midoriya-san…" Iida swallowed and bowed his head. "May I ask for your friendship? Hearing that you get along with the others in our class has made me hope for that same relationship with you."

* * *

Momo and Ochako parted at the train station. She was exhausted from the whirlwind of emotions, but the ache in her cheeks told her it was worth it. As they broke their hug, Momo grinned.

"Midoriya-kun is special, isn't he?" Ochako tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" Momo's grin waned as her expression turned wistful.

"He seems… different. At first, I thought he was just somebody who needed a helping hand. But after hearing Todoroki-kun talk about him, and now Iida-kun seems different too. I can't deny I'm a bit curious as well! There's just something about him." Ochako grinned.

"Yeah. He's something else. I'm not really sure what it is, to be honest." Momo pulled her into another hug suddenly and whispered in her ear.

"I hope you find out, Ochako-chan." Ochako stared as her friend drifted towards her train line with a mischievous smile. Her cheeks burned a little, but she smiled nonetheless.

"They really aren't going to let this go, huh?"


	10. Confrontations II (Meetings IV)

How quickly had life spiraled out of his control?

Becoming friends with most of Uraraka's classmates (thinking of them as heroes still put him into a spiral) was the best thing to ever happen to him. Suddenly he had people to talk to. People who enjoyed his company and his input. He smiled more than ever, and his mother was over the moon when they talked over dinner. Todoroki and Iida had become close friends, talking with him pretty much every evening. Uraraka was still his best friend out of all of them, his first friend and his longest contact. Kirishima was checking up on him and inviting him out. Chargebolt, AKA Kaminari, had come by the shop once or twice in the two weeks since their first meeting and quickly brought Deku into his circle of friends.

The darkness still hadn't disappeared. He stood in the changing room of a gym, shaking as he reached for the hem of his sweatshirt.

 _They've already seen most of them, dumbass. Just move…!_ He grimaced and started changing. When he was dressed in his usual work out attire he jogged towards the door.

Going out with everyone was mostly beyond him just yet, but hitting the gym with Todoroki, Kirishima, Iida and Tail-man? Maybe that wasn't so bad.

Deku was surprised when they offered. Todoroki had been stubborn and worn him down with argument after argument, even going so far as to invite Iida to come in place of his physical therapy. Once Iida agreed it was sealed in stone. Mashirao Ojiro was kind enough to close down his martial arts studio for a day so that they could accommodate everyone, which made it even harder to refuse. Uraraka had been a bit too happy to hear about it all.

 _These guys are nuts, after all…_ Deku grinned, despite the churning in his gut.

Todoroki stood up from one of the seats near the changing room as he emerged, nodding once in approval before heading towards the mat. Iida was already hard at work with Kirishima.

"Yo, Midoriya! We started already. Weren't sure how long you would take." Kirishima grinned as they approached. Deku rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his right hand. Standing beside his two friends was a blonde man in gi who sported a maturity beyond their shared age. Besides than the massive tail coming from the back of his uniform, he looked suspiciously plain. After a moment, Deku noticed the telltale signs of a man who was anything but plain. Ojiro gave him the same analytic stare before smiling and approaching.

"Hello. My name is Ojiro. You're Midoriya-san, right?" Deku took the handshake, but before he actually spoke Ojiro's grip tightened. Purely out of instinct and gut feeling, he managed to avoid being thrown but Ojiro didn't stop the assault. Blows came his way one after the other. Every old lesson, every moment spent watching videos online, every scrap of muscle Deku had went towards staying alive. No time to think. Barely enough time to react. Ojiro pressed him, maneuvering him around the sparring mats. After a few minutes, Deku realized what was happening. Sparks of anger lit in his gut and he launched an attack.

Ojiro was leaving him openings, attacking him too slowly for and operating hero. Deku had hesitated and taken a bit to actually warm up and react properly, of course, but the feeling of being toyed with brought a familiar sensation to mind. He could think clearly and press back if they were going to toy with him.

Shock registered on Ojiro's face as an attack passed by his face. He was forced back a step. Deku pressed, but Ojiro's expression hardened. In the span of two seconds Deku was locked tight on the mat, unable to move at all as Ojiro pushed his limbs to the limit of breaking.

"Mashirao!" Todoroki's voice cut through the silence. Ojiro released him too quickly, letting Deku collapse to the mat and gasp for air. Todoroki and Ojiro reached to help him up and retreated when Deku waved them off. Kirishima crouched beside him. Each wore an expression of shock.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya-san. My reaction was improper." Deku glanced at Ojiro, whose face showed genuine concern, then turned to glare at Todoroki.

"That was low, Todoroki-kun." Todoroki didn't react. Everyone else looked a bit embarrassed, probably surprised to have been caught so quickly, but Todoroki seemed to expect it.

"I played a hunch. You surprised all of us with that display Midoriya." Deku took a deep breath, but it hissed between his teeth. He couldn't help being angry.

"Honestly, I was against it at first but… Midoriya where'd you learn to fight?" Kirishima was too easy to read. Deku laughed at the shock in Kirishima's voice.

"I was going into the police originally, before things… We needed to be able to fight as a part of the exam. I went a bit overboard studying."

"You're in surprisingly good shape as well." Iida murmured. "I'd never have guessed you could handle yourself so well."

"You all saw me before." Deku stood, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "I told you, Iida-san, I'm not a hero."

"That was still a strong display, Midoriya." A small smile broke out on Ojiro's features. "My apologies for being part of Todoroki's hoax."

Deku sighed and accepted the handshake.

"You're incredible, Ojiro-san. Fighting on a students' level like that can't be easy." Ojiro's smile widened. Deku spared another glare at Todoroki, only to scoff and break when he saw Todoroki smiling to himself. "Jeez, you're all nuts. What if I'd gotten thrown during that first move?"

"I had a feeling you weren't that bad. Uraraka may have mentioned you working out regularly." Todoroki patted his shoulder. "Now that we've established that, shall we begin for real? Iida still has some therapy after all."

Deku yelped as Kirishima dragged him toward the center of the mats and they began a new set, claiming that Deku had ruined the original.

* * *

Ochako felt a little skip in her chest when her phone rang.

"Todoroki-kun! How'd it go?" A soft sigh came through the line.

" _Midoriya almost landed a hit on Ojiro in the first round. It went surprisingly well overall._ " Ochako grinned.

"I had a feeling he would be alright. Was he upset?"

" _We've talked it over. I had to promise not to involve him in any more surprise attacks." Todoroki's voice sounded surprisingly warm, Ochako noticed. "It was a good day. Thank you for asking me to do this._ "

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I should be thanking you for hearing me out." Ochako took a seat in the hall and laughed quietly to herself. Todoroki had been hard to get on board, but after talking for a bit they had decided that it was an interesting idea. Everyone else had jumped aboard surprisingly quickly.

" _Something about him bothered me since we first began talking. He always manages to surprise me. I'm glad you introduced us._ "

"I'm just glad you're all such good friends now. It makes me a little jealous."

" _I doubt we could get in between you and Midoriya, Uraraka. He may be shy, but he admitted that he was disappointed you were at work today._ " Why did her cheeks have to heat up? She shook her head and giggled.

"He'd never have gone through with it if I'd been there."

" _Maybe he'll surprise you again. I've got to go, I'm almost to the agency. Thank you again for suggesting this. Good evening._ "

Ochako stared at her phone for a few minutes after the call ended. Just before she could walk away, it rang again. She stared at it for a moment before answering.

"Hello…?"

" _Uraraka-san, is it a bad time_?" Ochako blinked and took her seat.

"No, I've got time to talk. How'd things go today?"

" _I, um, good, I think?_ " He chuckled, sounding a bit out of breath. " _They made sure to push me beyond my normal work out. If this keeps up I think they'll kill me after all…_ "

"Well, plus ultra and all that, right?" They both laughed. "It's not normal for you to call out of the blue like this. Are you feeling alright?"

" _Y-yeah. Actually, I wanted to ask you a question, if you don't mind._ "

"Of course not Deku-kun."

" _You were the one who suggested today, weren't you?_ " Ochako chewed her lip.

"Um… what makes you think that?"

" _Todoroki-kun is cold, but he isn't the kind to actually go out of his way like that. And you're the only one who knew about my work out habits before this, so… Eh, maybe this is too much. If- I mean, uh, j-just forget_ …"

"It was me." Ochako murmured. Her smile evaporated. She'd been afraid of discovery, but what would happen? Lying wasn't fair to either of them. "I asked Todoroki, and we brought everyone else together for it."

Deku didn't say anything. Ochako was used to flustered noises, occasional breaks in the conversation, but silence was new. It clouded the air till she forgot she was in a hallway. Her chest tightened and began to freeze.

" _You're an amazing friend, Uraraka-san._ " Deku murmured.

"Eh?" Ochako's face burned. Of all his reactions, compliments were the furthest thing she'd expect.

" _I… I guess I'm just still not used to having people who care. At first, I wasn't sure, because I knew you were trying to check in and help me. Being a project was better than having no friends at all, but you've all been so kind to me even if it was just being heroes and helping someone down on their luck. Even when I was mad that Todoroki and Ojiro tricked me it was obvious that they weren't being mean…_ " Ochako let out the breath she'd been holding as she listened to him talk. Part of her wanted to break in and tell him that he'd never been just a project. Part of her knew it was a lie. " _I, um… S-sorry if I'm being too blunt, but I wanted to say it out loud. I'm really happy, even if we started out that way. I'm glad I met you, Uraraka-san. And I'll do whatever it takes to return the favor._ "

"Deku-kun… There's no need for that, silly." Ochako reached up and wiped at her eyes. "I'm worried that the guys broke you. What'd they do, turn you inside out?"

" _Sorry. Was that too much? I didn't mean to make things weird…_ "

"Deku-kun." Ochako cut him off. Her smile widened till it hurt. "You should be more confident."

After a moment, a soft chuckle came across the line.

* * *

Deku wasn't sure why he wasn't freaking out. Talking to Uraraka on the phone should've been enough, saying all those impertinent things was way too much. Normally he'd have overheated. But fighting with his news friends all day, pushing beyond his normal limits and knowing that they were really his friends… He was riding on cloud nine. Part of him drifted back to that day at U.A., when she'd asked to use Bakugo's old nickname for him.

Uraraka had taken years of pain and loneliness and flipped it on its head in a matter of weeks. Even if he'd been a project, someone in need of saving, she had picked him up. She was still pushing him, making him better. He laughed quietly, embracing the work-out afterglow and gripping his phone a bit tighter.

"…I'll do my best." His grin suddenly turned to a full-blown smile. "After all, I've got to live up to the name you gave me!"

* * *

 _"…_ _I'll do my best_. _After all, I've got to live up to the name you gave me!_ " Ochako's heart skipped. She'd been ready to respond when he paused in the middle, and his last words caught her completely off guard. Her ears burned so much that she stood and rushed towards the restroom to hide from anyone passing by.

" _Uraraka-san? Are you…"_

"I'm here!" Ochako blurted out, barely managing not to squeak into the phone. "I'm h-here."

" _Sorry for dumping all this on you. Maybe I should've waited to talk to you in person…_ "

"It's okay!" The idea of him saying all of that in person, smiling, turned her blush back up to max and made her feel a bit… Well, it wasn't nausea. There was too much giddiness to be nausea. "I'm just surprised. I'm happy to hear you say all that, though. I'll hold you to it! You're one of us now, so you've gotta go plus ultra, okay?"

She wasn't sure where the words came from, or why she was thinking of the first time she saw him smile a bright, genuine smile. Her blush slowly died down, and instead of icy-hot uncertainty she felt a familiar competitive fire ignite in her heart.

" _I guess I've got a lot of catching up to do then…_ "

"Mmhmm! I'll hold you to it! Promise me!"

"… _All right. I'll do it!_ " Ochako wondered if she'd ever get used to smiling so much it hurt. Why did Deku make her smile like no one else could? " _Good night, Uraraka-san._ _Thank you, for everything…!_ "

"Do you think you can meet me for lunch tomorrow?"

" _Of course!_ "

"Good! It's a date then!" Panic caught her as she realized what she'd said. "Eh, I gotta go! Bye Deku-kun!"

She hung up and curled in on herself. As the excitement died down, she thought on the feeling, but it was like nothing she'd ever felt before. More emotions than she was sure she could handle at once, all because he'd gone and gotten confident.

What was she going to do…?

* * *

Deku grinned as he slipped his phone into his pocket. A few minutes alter it buzzed again. He moved through the station without thinking, took a seat and laughed as Iida apologized (again) for the hidden agenda and Kirishima told him that they should get together more often. Todoroki had wished him well before work so Deku sent off a message to him as well. It wasn't until he reached his front door that he realized he hadn't panicked on the train.


	11. Future Time

"You're going to law school?!" Ochako apologized as the waiter shushed her. She nearly spit her water clear across the table. Deku chuckled nervously.

"Well, I graduated last week, and the diploma finally came so… I've been thinking about it, you know?"

"I kinda always forget you've been in school." Ochako admitted sheepishly. Deku smiled.

"Online classes make it easy to forget. But yeah, I think… law school may be the easiest way for me to help people. It's not the police, or heroism, but I can still do my part." Ochako grinned.

"Of course that's your answer. You can do it, Deku-kun! I know you can." He smiled. She gasped. "Wait! You graduated? And didn't tell us?!"

"W-well it's only online classes…!" An idea came to mind, so Ochako pouted a bit but eventually she just sighed and tried to fake her way through.

"Well… fine. But I think we should have celebrated."

"…Uraraka-san, you're plotting something aren't you?"

"No…!"

"Uraraka-san…" Deku pouted. Ochako rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help that his pouting did pull a string or two.

"Well even if I was, are you going to stop me? Everyone else will insist as well." Deku's face wrinkled as he began thinking. After a minute of hushed muttering, he grinned. Ochako felt a chill go down her spine.

Deku was _smirking_ at her.

"Deku-kun…?"

"If you're going to plan something, let me do it."

"Eh?"

"You're right." He smiled, but the mischievous spark didn't leave his eyes. "People will want to do something for me, so I'll let everyone know. But don't go out of your way, all right? I'll handle it if they want to celebrate."

"Um… okay?" Ochako wasn't sure what to make of that.

Their late meal came to an end and they parted ways. For a few days she forgot all about it. Work consumed her, though they messaged one another constantly. After a week, he told her that everyone had indeed wanted to celebrate and that they'd hold it at Kaminari's place in a few days. Ochako agreed willingly and chatted with him for a bit, then with the girls for a while. Suddenly, her next week was packed. Momo and Tsuyu took her shopping, and even when Momo paid for the dress Ochako didn't think much of it. Mina made a point to invite them all over the night before, minus Deku, for a girls' night. It had been a while, and they had fun.

When the day came, it bugged Ochako. Something about it was important, but she wasn't sure what. That evening she got off work early and headed for Kaminari's bar, only to find the door locked. No one responded to her messages, leaving her stranded for five minutes or so before someone behind her cleared his throat. Ochako spun and…

Deku beamed.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" In all her time knowing him, Deku hadn't dressed up more than a long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants. Ochako was used to baggy clothing hiding him from the crowd and wild hair flowing almost down to his shoulders.

This was most certainly _not_ her Deku.

The suit clung to him in all the right places. A black suit coat, buttoned once, and long black slacks showed off a young man who was… dashing. Long wild green curls were replaced with a cleaner, slightly less wild haircut that made it impossible for him to hide his eyes. He was a head taller than her, she realized suddenly. Despite his lithe frame, his dark green shirt was tight across his chest. When he relaxed, it was like a model had stepped out of a magazine.

Ochako drank in the sight of him hungrily, but after the shock wore off she noticed the little things. He unbuttoned the coat using his right hand, the broken hand, and smoothed the black tie falling from his neck. A quick look up and down the street here, some nervous shifting from foot to foot. Tension rolled over him every other second, as if he wasn't used to being dolled up and exposed.

Maybe it was her Deku… Though she wasn't sure when he'd gone and gotten so…

"Um, Ur-Uraraka…? Are you alright…?" Reality hit her like a train. She blushed frantically as she realized the truth of the last few days.

"D-Deku-kun! What's going on?" He jumped a bit when he caught the fierceness behind her glare.

 _Definitely my Deku._

"Well, I… Um…" He seemed to realize he was twitching and calmed down, then took a deep breath. "I asked everyone to come later… If you don't want to stay, that's okay, but I asked Kaminari-kun to, um, set a table for two…"

"Everyone else is coming later? Why…" The last of his words ran through her mind and she began to blush in earnest this time. "Deku-kun…?"

"I'm asking if you'd have dinner with me, Uraraka-san." He smiled a nervous little smile. "A proper one. I like you, Uraraka-san."

"D-Deku-kun…" He grew more and more twitchy as the moments passed, until she finally get her breath back. "Um… I'd like that… To have dinner, I mean."

"R-really…?! I, I mean great! Um, then…" he pulled out his phone and shot off a message. A few minutes later the door opened with a click and a waiter opened it for them.

The club was low lit, and the table was perfect. Ochako wasn't sure she liked it, but when Deku pulled out her chair she grinned and let it all go. She'd enjoy this if it killed her.

Half way through the dinner, she asked him.

"Deku-kun, why wait till today to ask? You were so excited last week." Something was bugging her, in the back of her mind. He grinned, and the same mischievous light from their last meeting came back mixed with the sparks she'd fallen in love with over the years.

"Today is our anniversary." Her eyes widened. As she gasped he chuckled. "I mean, today is the day we first met. Three years ago, you took down a villain and we bumped into one another on the scene."

Ochako smiled and blushed. Her hand slid across the table and traced his hand, lacing her fingers with his when he met her actions.

" _We_ took down a villain, Deku-kun. We're partners after all…"


End file.
